New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-23
BOWLER AT HIS OLD TRICKS
HE FINDS A NEW WAY TO ATTACK THE
HARRISON ADMINISTRATION.

HOLDING MAJOR HALFoRD RESPONSIBLE FOR
RETIRING SEA ARBITRATION Tribunal DIS
Bt.RsEMENTs- SHAT Is. FOR PART OF
THEM-PARTIcULAR RULES Ar-
FLIED IN PARTIcr-
LAR CASES.
tBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TpIBuSrN
Washington. Aug 22-Controller Bowler. OF the
Treasury Department. imagines that ne mas "a'
another inning at the Harrison Administration. IL
is not a very dignned exercise OF authority put
II appeays 10 give certain people much sasiactloh
particularly as 1t strikes very close TO the eXfreS
dent himself. Ex-Secretary of state Johh w rvs
ter and Elijah W HaIford. ex-private secretary to
the President are the victims. The arrangements
for the presentation of the American side OF the
Behring Sea Arbitration were in charge OF MI
Foster. a few weeks before the expiration OF ,he
Harrison Administration Mr.. Halford WAS ap-
pointed paymaster In the Army ana de'aiied 10
20 TO Paris as dsbursing officer for the party; me
American members of the arbitration court were
Justice Harlan and Senator Morgan; Judge Bod
gett OF Chicago. was one of several distinguished
counsel and MI Foster took with him several
clerks from the Department OF State. and j. stan
ley Brown. of the Bureau OF Ethn"logy. VINO WAS
for several years special agent oil the uo'e"meht
at the seal islands, and married the daughter OF
President Garfield.
rotary Foster fixed the compensation OF the civilian
members of the party and made per diem allow
ance for those who held official positions. when
was TO cover all OF their hotel bills ana travelling
expenses These allowances varied according to
the rank and the duties of the persons for whom
they were made To the members of the court
they were liberal in order that they might appear
and live in Paris in a manner becoming the dignity
of their mission. The clerks and transatOrs re-
ceived enough cover all the legitimate expenses
they might incur Each person had a letter OF In
structions IN which the amount of his allowance
was stated. and he informed that 1t would
not be necessary for him TO render an itemized
account This action was taken under the au-
thoriy of the act OF Congress. which provided that
the appropriation for the expenses Of the tribunal
should be expended under the direction OF the
Secretary of state.
Paymaster Halford paid each member OF the
party his stated allowance at the end OF every
month until he was recalled few weeks before
the arbitration tribunal adjourned. and then he
handed over the funds to sir. Foster who acted
as disbursing officer the remainder Of the time.
Controller Bowler has held the accounts under adj
visement FOR more than year. a. the court ad-
tourncd in the summer Of 1893. and few days ago
rendered a remarkable decision in which he holds
that the Secretary Of State had no authority To
grant a per diem allowance t. Major Halford and
the clerks and requires that the latter should sub
nit an itemizcd statement OF expenditures ana
vouchers for the for his inspection In order
that ne may determine whether they were proper.
He does this under section Of the Revised stat
utes which requires all expenditures OF Govern
ment money to be reported, with certified youch-
crs etc. He makes an exception however. Of Sen
ator Morgan Justice Harlan and Juds" Nodgrtt
for very peculiar reasons In other words the little
fishes must report how they expended their money.
but IT Is not necessary Tor the big fishes to DO so
As for Major HAlford. Mr. Bowler holds that un-
der Section ga - the Revised Statutes he Is not
entitled to any expenses whatever except his pay
and the regular allowance for mileage. quarters.
fOfaE- H. a. al
his rank IN The Army. That Is. instead a. having
10 cen;s mile for ifavcliing esprn~cs 50 m5ntS
for quarters. = OF s. a month Tor fuel and hay and
oats for two horses And being the lishursing OIL
Ger Of the party Mr Halforl " his bonIsmep are
held responsible FOR the reimbursement 10 IN GOV
cTnmeni 81 all ih" money that is not accounted Tor
FOR which ltemizcl statements and vouchers are
not Furnished Ex-s"cretar, Foster is accountable
~ Hh" manner Tor whatever money ~ iisnurs"d
ani.r Major liafori returned TO The United siat~s
IL - inpossih!e 'or me clerks Or Mr. HaNori 70
their Instructions they not required keep
h.s and they id ~, 10 y, ani Ma 's unlforI t.
IT,. hcM Z ~, - ~" =, Goyernmsni q, 500 -
trolIer Power vas nforwcl nat ne in:'ructi Ton.
- the klnl and followed the practice that has
cways pr@yag ~ h raT n nj ~ ST. tn % ,
lie business. ~ replied that Do va not governed hy
practice has been. Iils prelcces~ora IN ono may
wrong. ana r IS time hat such errors were
corrected and such practices f'pup"l Tn" SECRETARY
81 State. he holds. had right 20 issu" such ~.
structlons a. were given. AMI Major iIalf'rd hal
no rich, 10 obey them he should have called upon
tho Controller FOR Instructions u BE- The duty -
that officer 10 Interpret The laws ~ congress r"
eardlng the expenditure - public money. ana IN"
SECRETARY ~ state has nothing ~ 30 with ~
The delegates 20 the Monetary Commission. whcn
met NJ Brussels last year ani Their clerks ana us
bursting officer had precisely the sam" INSTRUCTIONS
md Der diem allowances as those given the
party that went 10 Paris. but heir accounts were
allowed by Controller Bowler without question. ana
the law appropriatlug money for Their expenses W'E
framed in almost exactly the same language. pther
accounts 81 Ike ma urr have also been passed during
this Administration. when money l. 20 b" di@,
bursed under the direction ~ the Secretary "'
S,ate'' or any other Cabinet officer The "a" mas
oIyavs been construed - mean that his discr't"h
and approval were final. But controller Tower
thinks differently. and Secretary Gresham WIN
whom ne consulted before rendering IN" decision
agrees with him II Is believed thai " slip" als-
hnrslng officer other than Major Ialfori AMI some
SECRETARY Of state other than Mr. f"st'r hhn p''n
involved the decision womb nav" u''N nll'rr ri
~ arr NOT popuiar VIII Secretary t'rrShth IN,
0ni, recourse open to Major ilafprd j. u" hp''h
., Congress and secure the passage ol ~ n'l con,
Hrrlng tho instructions u Secretary roster am
anthorzing the Controller 10 allo" mo accounts a.