Evening star., 1896-10-24

to ascertain the exact amount This
an cunt covers the more direct contribu-
ton, and does not take into account that
which is done indirectly.
According to the very lowest estimate,
the two parties, through their distributing
agencies, have sent out 40,OOOOO0 pieces Of
literature under congressional frank. The
probability is that this estimate is alto
gether too low Mr.. Hanna has stated that
the republican committees have distributed
600, 10000 documents. The democrats have
not distributed anything like as many but
their number is unusually high. 1t is like
ly that at least a third of all the documents
sent out were parts Of the Congressional
Record. and were sent under frank free of
postage. These documents are sealed IN
envelopes and would be subject to letter
postage if not sent free. The average post
age would be cents more per piece.
Taking the lew estimate of i00V0Oo docu-
ments, the postage would amount to s., 4Uo,-
900.
This is one item. There is a good deal
lesdes that Uncle Sam does.
The printing of documents is paid for by
the committees, but to very large extent
they are saved the cost of composition on
speeches and congressional documents
through the use Of stereotyped plates made
at government expense for the Congress
sional Record. How much this government
contribution amounts to it would be diff
cult to calculate. 1t is not a direct eX-
pense to the government. In addition to
the parts of the Congressional Record
which go through the mails free under
frank. there are many documents from
the departments which go free as Official
matter. Much matter Of this sort has
gene out under the covers of the bureau of
statistics. the Trsasury Department and
the Department. Of Agriculture.
Cost of Folding.
OF course the cost Of collecting informa-
ton cannot be takenidnto account, but If
this had to be done by the campaign com
mittees the cost TO them would be enor-
nous. Those ca1hpafgn documents which
are a part of the Congressional Racord are
folded. that is. put into envelopes and
sealed at government expense. One dollar
a thousand is paid for this work. and there
is always a large; appropriation made for
this purpose. This year the amount OF
folding wsAs so great that the appropria-
ton was exhausted about three weeks ago.
and the work has beenedoue since on credit
unGer promise Joined in by the Senators
and members of the, House on the two
campaign committees they would Sc
cure deficiency appropriation from Con-
sress 70 pay me Dils ASS soon as the next
session begins A large number of persons
are engaged in this work. and have been
making good wages out Of it. The average
is not below 81 a day. and a few who are
expert. make as much as s12 day.
some years ago the ranking privilege
was extended to all members of the House
and Senate for their correspondence both
private and official. This was regarded as
an abuse, and an act was passed with
drawing the privilege. Being deprived of
the right to send their letters free of post
age added a great deal to the expense of
congressional life, and was regarded as a
great burden by Congressman. The money
spent for postage made a hole of no small
size i'll their salaries of 5000. 1t cost mem
bers anywhere from a dollar to three dol
lars day. During the last session of the
Fifty-third Congress an act was passed
granting the Thanking privilege in all off,
cfal correspondence. This relieved Con-
gressmen of the expense of postage on all
except their private correspondence. The
term ofhciaF' Is given broad construc-
ton and many two-cent stamp is saved
With Free Postage.
This is the first general election under
this new dispensation of free postage, and
the volume of official mail has been i'm
me1se. 1t Is impossible to make anything
like an adequate estimate of the amount it
has cost the postal revenues. During the
sessions of Congress fifty letters a day for
each member is not a high average esti-
mate. The average has probably been
higher than fifty during the last two
months Of the campaign. This item, there
fore, may be safely estimated at about
$2I,OOO for the sixty days..
Moreover. the Senators and members
nave mad to large extent the services of
the Salarled congressional employees and
nave had their private secretaries.
The entire sum of Uncle Sans contribu-
ton to the campaign is not small.