St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-08-20
MONEY WAS TOO FREE WITH
DIsBURsING OFFICERS ON
PUBLIC WORKS.
NOW THEY'RE COMPLAINING
TREASURY OFFICIALS FOUND 1T
ADVISABLE TO REDUCE
CREDITS.
AVAILABLE FUNDS INCREASED.
Many Millions Transferred to the
Balance Account That Were
Formerly Tied Up.

WASHINGTON Aug. 19.-The war
department is in almost daily re-
ceipt of complaints from the disburs-
ing officers in the various river and
harbor districts of the country con-
corning the delay in forwarding
money from the treasury depart
ment in response to their requiSi-
tionS. These complaints represent
that in many cases contractors and
1aborerS are clamorous for money,
which in some cases has been due
for three or four months. The war
department officials are reluctant to
discuss the question, but admit that
complaints are being made, and that
instead of being confined to any one
or two districts, they are quite gen.
eral. There has been especial criti
cism from the Detroit and st. Louis
districts, in each of which the gov
eminent is in arrears to the extent
of about $150,000. The war depart
ment officials say that the respon-
sibility for this state of affairs is
not theirs. 1t has been the practice
heretofore for the engineer officers in
charge of river and harbor works in
the various districts to send in their
acquisitions at or about the begin
ming of each month for the money
supposed to be necessary to meet
the expenses of the month. The chief
engineer forwards them promptly,
giving full credence to the estimates
of the subordinate officers in the
field, but the treasury department,
it is said, now shows a disposition
to withhold settlement longer than
was formerly the case. War depart
ment officials claim that this has
had the effect of keeping the gov
eminent in arrears to employees, of
causing criticism of the department,
and of hardship to persons de-
pendent upon this work. In the case
$ of the work in the Detroit district,
for instance, it is represented that
Gen. Poe, in charge Of the work
there, was compelled to send two
kilograms urging attention to his
requisition before he could get the
money upon it.
Rumor placed the amount of re-
QUESTIONS withheld at from 100000
to $50O0O00 but the chiof of the war
rant division of the treasury, when
seen, said this report was an exagger-
alton, and that his books show that
only little over 100000 in acquisitions
stands unpaid. 1t was the custom, it
was explained at the treasury depart
ln o1r ictr nf
rotary Foster, to issue warrants for
acquisitions of officers in charge of
river and harbor work, Immediately on
Their receipt But under Secretary
Fosters direction a change was order
ed, by which the amounts standing to
the credit of disbursing officers were
reduced from over S40,000,000 to $2O,000,
900. This change was the result of an
investigation which showed that re-
QUESTIONS were often made by dis
bursting officers for large sums when
their balances were large, and there
was, it is stated, absolutely no imme-
date use for the money for which they
called The result of the change in
methods. treasury officials say, has
been to keep in the available balance
of the treasury many millions which
under the former system would have
been tied up as credit balances to the
accounts of disbursing officers. The
books of the warrant division show at
present that payments on account of
river and harbor work are unusually
heavy. Over $1,7OO,O00 was paid to dis
bursting officers last month, and over
s2,OO0,0OO for the nineteen days of the
present month, or at the rate of $3O,O00,-
0O0. The appropriations for the fiscal
year which closed July 1, 1895, were
$40 043, 0O0 and for the present year,
ending July /, 1895, the aggregate is
81, 452 900.