The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-22
CHARGE AGAINST SP0FFORD.
GOOD SIZED SHORTAGE N THE IL
BRARIAN's ACCOUNTS ALLEGED


The Veteran Librarian Denies vIg-
OrousIy All InsInuatiOns OF Cor
ruDtion of Any Kind and Makes n
Lengthy Statement-Hls MuItffari-
Gus Duties CRused Confusion fn
AccOunts-NO Crookedness what
ever Has Existed, He says-He IL
Ready 20 Make Good Any Balance
Against Him.
Washington. Aug. 21.-The accounts. OF
Congressional Librarian spofford. which
have been under Investigation by the aud
itor of the treasury for the state and other
departments since last January, are said
to show a shortage Of at least $4,000. This
shortage is said to exist in the pay roll
accounts OF the library and. in addition
to this discrepancy In the copyright and
search fee accounts. The accounts have
been examined by an expert In the Office
Of Auditor Holccmb. and his report is be-
neved to have been carried TO President
Cleveland at Gray Gables by Assistant
Secretary Hamlin of the treasury DEPART
ment, who went 10 his cottage at Marion.
Mass, few days ago to spend his vaca-
tion.
At the treasury department. no informa.
tion whatever can be learned regarding
the matter. tine officials declining to dis
cuss It or reveal the result of the invests
cation.
Mr.. spofford was shown the statement
regarding his accounts and made the fol-
lowing statement:
In a matter involving so many particu-
lars, both Of mis-statements and of distor-
tIon of facts, It can only be said that this
Is not the first time nor is likely to be the
last, that public official has been held uu
TO odlum FOR offenses not committed-
Stripped Of all sensational statements tha
whole matter rests upon an admitted con-
fusion Of accounts, growing out OF the ex-
treme pressure constantly upon the libra@
rian Of congress and register Of copy
rights to the whole country. This neglect
has been owing to the fact that while the
daily and onerous business Of deciding
upon and issuing copyrights, and the al
most incessant demands upon the libra
rian for information by congress and the
public cannot be prepared, the matter OF
accounts can be and has been delayed.
The charge OF having received illegal
fees is baseless. The copyright law dis
tinetly provides that for certifying a copy
OF copyright record. there shall be col
lected fifty cents. The applications for
such records are very numerous, because
Of the constant litigation involving COPY
right property. The furnishing Of certified
statements as to how the record stands Is
not part OF the regular correspondence. but
Is to meet special demands for evidence 10
defend or institute suits involving copy
right property. The charges for this labor.
about fifty cents an hour fairly repre-
sents what the government pays In cleri-
cal salaries and these charged are regu-
larly recorded In the cash book and paid
into the treasury thus reimbursing the
government for It's own expenditures on
these special searches.
AS to the statement that fraudulent
vouchers have been presented, the facta
that two bills, one for $25 and one for
about &c. both bearing receipts, but neith-
er marked duplicate, were rendered In the
accounts from the library the duplication
not having been detected either BY nv
self or by the clerk having these accounts
IN charge. The amount overdrawn was
at once made good on attention being
called to this error.
Regarding payments OF salaries, Il is
true that the librarian has for a long time
secured larger service for the library un-
der appropriations specifically for a larger
sum than that paid, and this under the
authority Of the law which provides that
whenever the duties of clerk of higher
grade can well be performed by one OF a
lower 1t shall be lawful to employ more
than one within the limits of approval
under this, the librarian employed, in
cases where no expert of adequate expe-
rience was found for vacancy, two per-
sons, for the salary Of one person for a
much longer time, within the limits OF
the appropriation made. This has se-
cured for the government much more SER
vice for the amounts and it never occurred
to me as a thing improper. much lass
Illegal"
Mr.. spofford said that instead Of there
being only tWenty-fOur persons employed
in the library as had been stated, there
We're actually thirty-eight, thealaw requir-
ing thirty.
ITO those who know anything Of the
multifarious duties thurst upon the libra-
rian.' continued Mr. Spofford, ''it win NOT
appear strange that 1 have asked for a
separation of the duties of register of copy
rights, which should he under the charge
of a distinct bonded officer connected with
the library OF congress, from those OF H.
brarian, so as to secure the full benefit OF
the publications recorded under the copy
right law.
1.-THE net result of the whole matter. 50
far as now seen is: That there viii be
due the treasury about $1,000 in adjust
ment of copyright and salary accounts.
although no absolutely final audit has yet
been reached. The amount due / am, OF
course, ready to pay immediately"
Mr.. Spofford said that he had received
no intimation that his services were likely
to be dispensed with by the President He
added that he had received only the most
courteous treatment at the hands of the
executive officials.
Mr.. Spofford was appointed to his pres
ent office by Abraham Lincoln in 1S64.