The times., 1898-01-26
FUN At PUBLIC EXPENSE
Comic Literature Charged Up 10
the Contingent Fund.
ABUSE TO BE CORREcTED
The Appropriation Bill Recognizes
That Abuses Have Crept In and
Undertakes 10 Remedy the Evil
Clerks Must Give Something Like
Reasonable Service.


tions when it reported the legislative
bill to the House inserted several para
graphs Of new legislation which are
intended to- correct abuses of the ex-
listing law which have existed for sew
eral years past, and which the heads
of departments have found it impossi-
bic to remedy. This action was taken
after a careful investigation of the
subject, and after the heads of depart
ments had been given a hearing before
the committee The Senate Committee
VIXEN it reported the bill permitted
every paragraph of this new legislation
to stand. This is an unusual circum-
stance, and is sufficient guarantee that
the new legislation reported in the
bill was badly needed.
Among other things there is pro-
viso that hereafter law books, books
of reference or periodicals for use in
any executive department shall not be
purchased or paid for from any appro-
priation for contingent expenses or for
any specific or general purpose, unless
such purpose is authorized IN the law
granting the appropriation. 1t has
come to the attention of the committee
that various departments, and notably
the Navy Department, has been pur-
chasing books and periodicals to an
enormous extent. The appropriation
for this purpose aggregates about $500.
When called upon for a statement as
to what had been done with this money
the department told the committee that
several thousand dollars worth of
publications had been purchased and
paid for out of almost every conceiY-
able fund that went for the support OF
the Navy. These publications consist
ed of Puck Judge, Truth and various
other publications, novels and light lit
erature of various sorts, including al
most everything in the shape of liter
ature that was desirable. III was
shown that even part of the appropria'
ton for the construction of battleships
was used in the payment of bills for
this sort of literature.
Another piece of new legislation in
which the Senate Committee concurred
was that requiring not less than seven
hours OF labor each day on the part
of all Government employees, and Civ
ing the heads of departments author
ity to further extend the hours of la
Dor without additional compensation.
So far as the Treasury was con-
cerned. 1T Was shown to the committee
that during the last fiscal year there
We're I,4S6 clerks absent during the
year on sick leave, in addition to the
thirty days annual leave granted by
the department The sick leave abuse
under the new law will be eradicated,
as none such viii be granted except in
the case.of contagious disease, where
the presence of the clerk in the de-
partment would jeopardize the health
of other clerks, and in exceptional and
meritorious cases where a clerk or en-
ploye is personally i'll, and where the
| thirty days limit would work a pecu-
| liar hardship.
The Secretary has discretion in such
cases to extend the annual leave so as
to include the sick leave.
The head of each department under
the new law is required TO have month
| ly reports submitted to him by the va
/ rious chiefs of divisions, and whenever
| such reports show that the public busi-
ness is in arrears, the head of the de-
! partment in which such arrears exist
| is required to extend the hours of SER
vice of his clerks as may be necessary
to bring up the arrears of the public
business to date. and all such extern
sions of the public service are to be
reported to Congress at the beginning
of each regular session in the annual
estimate Of appropriations
The bill also takes a large portion of
the salary of the clerk of the Supreme
Court Of the United States from him.
Several years ago this official drew in
salary and fees an amount said to
be equal to about $30,000 but this was
reduced by legislation Congress at the
time intended to limit his emoluments
to the simple salary of s6,000 which
was provided. The court held, howev-
er, that there were certain fees under
the statutes to which he was entitled.
and these fees. it is said have caused
his salary to aggregate in the neigh
borhood Of $4,000 to SIS, 900. The legis-
lative bill as reported by the House
and as agreed to by the Senate COM
mittee puts. the clerk of the Supreme
Court on the esame level with the clerks
of other courts of the United States,
and requires him to account to the
Secretary OF the Treasury for all fees
and emoluments in his office.
A serious abuse of the law was also
found in the Postoffice Department.
where several clerks are employed.
particularly in the office of the Post
master General, and charged up to be
paid from the railway postal service
appropriation. The new law makes it
unlawful TO detail clerks or other en-
ployes paid from general appropria-
tions for the postal service from any
branch of the postal service, whether
located in Washington or elsewhere. to
any of the Offices or bureaus of the
Postoffice Department at Washington.
This will require the dismissal of these
clerks or their employment under the
general appropriation for the support
OF the Postoffice Department.