The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1894-06-28
HON. TOM WATSON
GIVES MORE FACTS AND FIGtKE~
FROM TIN OFFICIAL RECORD

Let the People kaos Ha~ Th~ir Money
sp~at, What IL Ca.ts Iou tor Park. .an.
Public Grounds.
For the fiscal year ending Jun,
30. 1892, | lind that it cost 20,
seyentyfour thousand dollars {,
maintain and beautify the park
IN Washington City during tha
year.
! Besides this sum You spent upwardt
of Sl2, 600 10 take care of the Wash
ington monument.
II seems incr, dible that il should
cost you an average of twelve thous
and dollars per year to preserve ont
marble monument aud 10 operate al
elevator in it, bat such is the litera
fact.
To give you some idea Of the item,
which require this expenditure IwilI
state the details. from the account OF
August >, 1892;
For ordinary care of IaFavettt
| Square, 81, 600; of Franklin Square,
| 81, 900; Of Monument Grounds, 81
300; for improvement of "ReServa.
tiOn No. l., $4,000; for post-and-
chain fences, Si .0Oo; for manure. -, :
600; for painting The lodges of watch
men, fences, lamps, etc, $3.50; fof
the purchase Of seats, $1,000; for
tools. $4,000; for trees, plants, lime,
labels, etc, $4,000; for removing
snow and ice, $1,000. for lower pots,
baskets, etc, ,ou0; for the care and
construction of fountains, 81 800, for
the improvement of the Smithsonian
Grounds, $1,000; for Judiciary
Square and the Pension Building
Grounds, 5000; for other reserya-
tons and grounds, including wages
II waUchmen, etc, $4,000; then
comes the Washington monument, its
custodian, engineers, tircmen, con-
ductor for elevator, its day watch
men and night watchmen, its fuel,
lights, heating apparatus, repealrs to
engine, etc, etc, costing you for
twelve months, the extrayagant sum
IF eleven thousand, five hundred and
TWEEN y dollars.
a lew sight-Seers who can go to
Washington and take ride on the
elevator to the top of the Washing
ton monument, enjoy this luxury
very much indeed, but the great mass
Of the taxpayers derive no benefit
from it wns tever. If every visitor
was charged twenty-five cents for the
elevator privilege, this monument
would pay its own way. There is no
more sense IN taxing u5,000,O00 peo-
pie to afford free ride to the favor
ed few who visit Washington than
there would be in taxing a thousand
farmers to pay for free railroad trip
for one.
The list of employees to look
after this one monument, and
to operate the elevator, is as fol-
lows:
One "custodian" at 500 per
month; engineer, $50 per month; as
sistant engineer, 500 per month; fire
man, $50 per month, assistant
fireman, $40; conductor, $75; one at
tendant on floor, 500; ditto on top
floor, $50; three day and night
watchmen at $50 each-=in all, $S,-
500 in salaries, Then comes the fuel,
repairs, ETC., at $4,000. Costly monu-
ment,
The Botanic Garden is where they
cultivate flowers and ornamental
planos and shrubs.
For the year 1928, you paid So
900 for certain repairs TO the build
ings.
The manure for the flowers, the
tools, the fuel and the new plants
purchased cost you $4,000.
The salaries of the men who take
care of the establishment cost you $l3,-
1913.
Add up these items and you will
see that. you were good enough tC
supply the favored few with flowers
at the expense of nearly twenty,
four thouand dollars for that one
yeaE
! Add to this sum $4,000 for i'm.
provements to the buildings and
grounds and $4,000 for Botanical
investigations and Experiments
and you will have a grand total Of
nearly sixty-seven thousand dollar.
Eof your taxes spent in Washing,
ton for flowers during one fsca
year.
The Smithsonian Institution is the
National Museum in which you keel
specimens of snakes, lizards, buz
yards, turkeys, terrapins, ahgators
and various other dead animals, anC
various other curiosities.
For the fiscal year 1923 yo,
spent the following sums upon you
.appetite for curiosities:
For salaries, aud for specimens
! to be exhibited Sl32,50,
ToF grass cases 10 put Lne
curiosities in, and for
some more salaries 1000
+ For heating, lighting,
etc. 11,Oo
| For stamps and postal cards so
For printing the "Pro-
ceeallng" Of this Insti-
] tuition 1900
In connection with this Institr
: ton you maintain Geological Gal
1 den wherein you keep a number {
live Misunderstanding OF station
:, AIRY menagerle.
Il This costs you $25, 900 per year.
1 In the same connection you mail
tain at an expense of $4,000 p'
year an "Artrophysical Observi