Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-08-14
ODD FEDERAL EXPENSES.
UNFAMILIAR PURP oSES FOR WHICH
THOUSANDS ARE PAID ANNUALLY.

American Convicts in Foreign Prisons
Use of the Secret Fund.
The United States Government pays
out annually thousands of dollars for
purposes which not one citizen in o
thousand knows anything about. APP
preparations for some of these pur-
poses have been regularly made for
years and will probably continue to
be made for many more to come, says
the Sun.
Although slave trading is generally
supposed to be thing of the past,
the Government does not think so.
This is shown by the fact that this
country contributes annually 800 as
its share of the expense of keeping up
at Brussels an institution known as
the international Bureau for the Re-
preston of the African Slave Trade.
Uncle Sam is deeply interested in
ascertaining the size of the earth over
which he recently stretched out his
mighty hand. With view of gaining
the desired information he pays $500
annually, through the American EN-
bassy at Berlin, as his quota as men,
ber of the international Geodetic AS
sociation for the Measurement of the
Earth. The records do not show what
progress the association is making
toward reducing the size of this planet
to cold figures, but the $500 is paid
every year.
In Brussels there is an International
Bureau for the Publication of Gus
fNa,., l..
tain the bureau, and the United States
pay S131S annually as their proper
tionate share of the expenses. More
expensive still is the annual member
ship fee of the United States in an
other institution with headquarters in
Brussels. Every year $2270 is paid
by this Government as a contribution
to the maintenance of the International
Bureau of Weights and Measures.
1t costs the United States no less
than $4,000 annually to provide
prisons for American convicts in for
eign countries. These prisons are
under the jurisdiction of the consular
officers in various cities in China,
Corea, Japan and Turkey. They are
seldom used, but they must be main
tained, nevertheless. The locations
of the prisons with the cost of rent
and salary of keepers are as follows:
Bankok, $1,000; Shanghai, $3.50;
Yokohama, $3.50; Turkey, $1,000.
For keeping and feeding such prison
ers as may from time to time be con-
fined in these prisons $4,000 is set
aside every year.
The Secretary of the Treasury would
doubtless experience no difficulty in
finding plenty of mon about Washing
ton who would, without remuneration,
spend a day watching the destruction
by maceration of United States secur-
tiles. But TO save the Secretary any
possible embarrassment, Congress has
provided that he may pay the repre-
sentative of the public, who the law
says shall be one of committee, to
witness the reduction of the securities
to pulp, S. a day for each day he may
be so employed.
On the coast of Morocco, at Tau
giers and Cape Spartel, mariners used
to experience great difficulty in avoid
ing disaster on account of the absence
of warning night signals on the shore.
Lighthouses were sadly needed, and
as the Government of Morocco would
not provide them, the great powers
took the matter in hand. Lighthouses
were established and the powers are
assessed so much annually for their
maintenance. The share of the United
States in this expense is 1926.
10 aat, r. II
United States to bring back to this
country from abroad persons charged
with crime. 1t is rather expensive
work, and for it there is an annual
appropriation of $4,000.
This Government is ever grateful
for any service rendered to its citizens
in case of marine disasters by people
of foreign countries. Such services
are usually substantially emembered
and there is special provision for
them. An annual appropriation of
S4500 is made for Expenses incurred
in the acknowledgment of the services
of masters and crews of foreign ves-
sells in rescuing American seamen and
citizens from shipwreck." The Gov
ernment also pays $500 year toward
maintaining hospitals in Panama in
order that American sailors may en-
Joy the benefits of those institutions
whenever necessary.
The people of Alaska, who inhabit
the islands of st. Paul and st. George,
receive special consideration at the
hands of the Government. Congress
authorizes the Secretary of the Treas
ury to furnish them food, fuel and
clothing, and for this purpose $40, 500
is appropriated.
The Washington Monument comes
in for good-sized appropriation every
year. In order that it may be kept
open to the public and receive the
necessary repairs, Congress allows the
War Department an annual appropria-
tion of 81, ,520. The same department
receives $547,275 annually to be ex-
pended in providing artificial limbs
for soldiers, and an additional sum of
$4,000 is appropriated for surgical ap-
pllances for the veterans.
The State Department has a secret