The evening times., 1899-12-12
EXPENSES OF THE SENATE
Large Sums for Soap. Soda MINIS,
and Perfumery.
Senators Accept Communication of Al
Iownnce for Stationery and News
The Vice Presidents Ivory Hair
Brush-Bay Rum and Briliinntine.

A document has just been placed on the
shelves Of the Senate document room, which
usually attracts very little attention, and
is persistently avoided by the members of
the higher branch of Congress. The docu-
ment is the annual report of the Secretary
of the Senate. 1t contains the corroborative
evidence of the oft-repsated charge that the
Senate of the United States is an extrava
giant body, as every expenditure, no matter
for what purpose, is given "a place in the
catalogue.
The present volume sets forth the fact
that it cost the Government s1,S47, OIL Sc
to pay the expenses of the Senate from July
/, 1898, 10 July 1. 1899, which embraced
the last session of the Fifty-ffth Congress.
The first item in the report is the month
ly payments made to the late Garret A.
Hobart. which foot up for the year SS,oo0.
The. compensation and mileage of Senator'S
makes a grand total of $500, 331. Then sala-
ries of officers, clerks, messengers, and
others in the service of the Senate. amounts
10 1856 .25S One months extra pay is al
lowed TO these employees under the def
cheney bill. approved. July Z, 1888. which
amounts to s43, 1917. One months extra
pay is also allowed TO these employees un-
der the deficiency bill approved March 3,
1889, and this total amounts TO S50,o9 The
salaries of the Capitol police are given in
the report as $S4,610-
Disbursements in Detail.
The detailed disbursements from the
contingent fund make somewhat interesting
reading Under the head of stationery and
mac Tba ,,os,,g.
bill amounted to s75. For the Senate horses
and wagons, 5000; fuel and heating ap
psratus. s15. 600
Some of the more curious items follow:
Senator George Gray for commutation of al
lowance for stationery and newspapers. Sl6. IL
Senator John L. McIaurin. for communication of
allowance for stationery and newspapers, ss0-4-
Senator James Mcmillan. for communication of
allowance for stationery and newspapers. sJz9i-
Senator George Turner. for communication OF al
lowance for stationery and newspapers. $685..
Senator ]. l.. Rawlins, for commutation OF al
lowsnce for stationery and newspapers, $500.
Some idea of the cost of a Senate, ial
funeral may be had from the following
items in the funeral bill of the late Sena-
tor Morrill,:
State casket with copper lining. SioO: engraved
plate, SO; red cedar shipping case, $50; en-
baming and service Of undertaken at Washing
ton, $3.50; attendance of undeTtaker TO Mont
pclier, s25: carriages. slGs-50; hearse, s16 to al
500; Pennsylvania Railroad Company. s2,Oil-G.,
including Cornmi-sary Supplies of $3.50
Each year the Senate buys quantities of
furniture for its committee rooms, etc.
The supposition is that these rooms have
always been furnished. but the record Of
old furniture that is disposed of is entirely
Inconsistent with the amount of new furni-
ture that is supposed TO replace the old.
Last year SIS. .S06 was spent for new furni-
- 1
was disposed of. Repairs TO furniture cost
s2337, and furniture cleaning cost S2,SS5.
For folding documents $2.o4l was ex-
pended. Under the head of materials for
folding" sl.6o3, was spent. The packing
boxes used amounted 10 1870.
Items of Odd Character.
Under the head of miscellaneous items
all sorts OF things are charged. One Sem
ator has made the Government furnish
him with pass case" presumably TO
carry his railroad passes in. while on De-
cember y, 1898, z. d. Gilman furnished
the Senate the following articles. as set
forth in the report:
six pounds sperm candies, bottle soda mint
tablets dozen cleaning BRUSHES. , spongeS, /
case Tripoh. gallons witch hazel. gallon
Cokes tonic, , busters, grinding pairs
shears, grinding razor, 32 pounds spongeS. II
gallons coal OIL dozen nail brushes. 5 dozen
combs. g dozen "a inch feather busters: > dozen
backing brushes. dozen backing dlubers. ,
boxes Williams soap. l-2 dozen bottles brilhan-
tine. ivory hair brush for Vice Presidents
room. ] shell comb. ! bag alum salt, / pint
bcnzine. c dozen whisk 5rooms, / gross I. VI.
backing, dozen patent leather poli-h l kip
chamois skins. dozen Jockey Club soap, q
dozen White Rose soap. dozen Society Hygienic
soap, large; gross RitSers soap. gross Lettuce
soap. 3 dozen Gillingham's silver polish.
] dozen Pinaud's tonic rs gallons alcohol,
quarts; 10 gallons bay rum, 6 dozen Lubns
soap. dozen Society Hygienic perfumed soap.
IL dozen hair brushes. dozen clothes brushes.
] hat brush, dozen BARRIERS whisk brooms, =
ounces protosulphate of iron, draclm altar of
roses, / quart castor oil, l quart olive oil. .
quarts ammonia, ounces ounce seed, ounces |
essential oils. g ounces salts of tartar G boxes |
Cuticura, quarts glycerine, bottles soda mint |
and pepsin tablets 1000 S-grain quinine pills. 1
The total for these items amounted to |
sS2l.SS.
Many pages of the report are taken up |
by an itemiZed account of the kilograms |
which Senators sent at the expense of the |
Government during the year. Notable in |
this list is the record of former Senator |
Quay, who. on March IS, 1898, sent at the |
expense of the Government 240 kilograms |
TO persons in Pennsylvania. About half of |
these dispatches were sent to persons in