The morning times., 1896-02-24
Fortune Spent in Stationery,
Soap and Laundering.
SOME FEW ECONOMISTS
One Member Used Cents Worth
of Letter Paper and Others Went
Up to Hundred Dollars-Inci-
dentals Were Mostly Necessities
and in Contradistinction to Senate

mcnt Printing Office, and shows that from
December 8, 1891, to December 2. 1895,
he disbursed total of So, 1865, ,9S7. .54.
The minor expenditures are devoid of
that wild abandon which distinguishes the
apportionment OF the Senate contingent
fund. Quinine pills, mineral waters, and
various expensive articles OF luxury and
personal comfort do not figure in the list
of purchases.
There appears, as usual, q statement
that the sum of $41 900 was given as n
donation to high and low saIaricd officials
and employees alike, in the shape OF an
| extra mouths pay.
The report shows that very few OF the
members allowed their conscience TO inter
yene and prevent them from drawing the
| full allowance OF 500 per month for clerk
| hire. There were some, however, who
seemed to think they should exercise due
economy in this as other matters, and left
| a certain balance each month to be re-
| turned to the Treasury.
CONSISTENT CoNGREssMEN.
| AS an illustration, during the month of
January. 1895, Mr.. Black, of Georgia, only
drew $35.47 cents for clerical help. and
| General Black, of Illinois, but $50. Mr..
| Burrows drew $74.17: Messrs. Coffeen and
| Gillett $75 each; Mr.. McKaig, $51; and Mr..
| Turner S2S.
| 1t is also shown that the large proper
ton OF members took the cash for their
allowance of $l25 in stationery and either
used that allotted to their committee rooms
or obtained it elsewhere. Mr.. Murray, the
colored member from South Carolina, used
but three cents worth of stationery for
| which he paid, and Mr.. Cousins but six
cents worth;
| Mr.. Settle, of North Carolina. was al
most entitled to the medal for extrava-
| gance, as he utilized S1O0.6S of his 1925
allowance for stationery. The others. who
broke into their reserve at all, range be-
| tween these two extremes.
| Mr.. Mutchler is credited with so cents:
Mr.. Moses, 81 cents; Mr.. Sweet, 40 cents;
Mr.. Taylor. 33 cents; Mr.. Livingston, so
| cents; Mr.. Caruth, So cents: Judge Hayes,
| S25; Mr.. McMllin. S29.97; Major Picker,
\ S43.SG; General Harmer, S2S.37; Mr.. Alder
| son, S40.49; and Mr. Aldrich approx
mates the record with an expenditure Of
| $95.S4 for stationery.
THESE ARE WRITERS.
| Mr.. Morse did right well. using ST3.34;
Mr.. Quigg. $73.2T: Mr. kngore, S47.34;
| Mr.. Onthwaite. 500 3.34; Mr. Springer,
| S64.44 Mr.. McCreary. S59.1S: Mr.. Walker,
S3s.9S; AIR. Dalzen, $63.9o; and Mr..
| Phillips. S67 So.
! Mr.. Sperry heads the list so far as the
use of writing material is concerned,
having used $t05.24 of his allowance,
leaving but S19:76 to be drawn in cash.
The thousands of yards of carpet in the
various committee rooms and on the floor
OF the House were cleaned at the uniform
| price or cents per yard.
! 1t cost $2646o 10 sew and lay 1923
yards of carpet in the han of the House,
or at the rate of 30 cents per yard. 1t
cost 50 each TO steam sheepskin rugs and
100 pair for laundering The lace cur
tains in the Speakers room. and 90 cents
| a pair for hanging them.
The enormous quantities OF stationery
necessary is illustrated by the fact that
In the month OF September one envelope
| company furnished 292 900 MANILA en-
velopes, at an aggregate cost of $3.50 and
in October, $4,000, envelopes, costing
! SS53.TT.
| In the months OF May and June this same
company furnished 3,260,0Oo MANILA
envelopes, for which the sum OF S5.1O0.27
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| tanned from local dealers and other sources.
A JUNKET ITEM.
| 1t cost $500 for the Judiciary sub
! committee to go to Cleveland and investi
| gate the charges preferred against Judge
Ricks.
| 1t required $4,000 pounds of ice 10
keep the House cool during the month OF
August, 1894 and this cost S132.
The sum OF S1,347 .16 was expended
in conveying the Congressional committee
to Eau Claire, Wis, to attend the late
| Representative Shaws funeral and in
addition 1899 were paid for funeral eX-
penses.
An iteniized statement is also given of
the expenses incurred in the interment Of
| Representatives. Wright and Lisle.
That cleanliness is next door to Godli-
ness is emphasized by the fact that in the
doorkeeper's department from March to
| 81 there were washed 532 dozen towels
| at an expense OF S132.75, or % cents
per dozen. For the same period Al dozen
bath towels We're washed at cost OF
| $35.27.
The cost per quarter for telephone rental
was $263.36 the stationery furnished
the clerks office amounted to SAG sc; the
doorkeeper's office. S344.50; sergeant at
| arms, So. "a: postmaster, $12S: reporters
of debates, $2S7.16 the press gallery,
| S64.6o; the Speakers room, ST2.9S.
COMMITTEES ARE EXPENSIVE.
The Committee on Accounts used S45.45
worth of stationery; that on Agriculture,
$12.09: Appropriations, S45.39; District
OF Columbia, $30.70; the Committee on
! Naval Affairs seems to have been The most
| extrayagant having used $51. A. and that
on expenditures in the State Depart ment
the most economical, having expended but
| S1.04.
The clerks office and connections used
| { 40 boxes OF matches, The doorkcpper'S de-
partment 46S boxes, and the engineers
! department and sergeant at-arms office
each 16S boxes; the Iostoffice found use
| for 1s4 boxes and the Committee on Ap-
propriations 100 boxes.
. But the Committee on Appropriations is
credited with but one cake of toilet soap
as against six to the Committee on Claims
and four TO the District of Columbia.
The Committee on Military Affairs used
4 three boxes of backing, that being the
| maximum record.
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