New-York tribune., 1900-05-28
PERQUISITES IN CUBA.
SOME REMARKABLE CHARGES SAID TO
HAVE BEEN MADE BY MR.
RATHBONE
lay TELEGRAPH TO THE rsrsrSE.I

Washington. May 27.-One interesting and
important branch of the Cuban investigation
will be that relating the perquisites enjoyed
by the officials and clerks employed there by
virtue of their official and clerical status. and
also that relating to miscellaneous expenditures
1t has been impossible 10 obtain any satisfactory
or definite information on these points al the War
Department. where such Cuban accounts and
other data as have been received relating 10
these subjects have been jealously concealed
from the public eve and knowledge, and not. as
in the of official accounts filed in the ac-
counting departments Of the Treasury. opened
to public inspection for proper purposes and
under suitable regulations. Much reasonable
and proper we'll eager curiosity exists to
know the nature and amounts OF the details
which went to make up the totals Of disbUrse
ments under the head of per diem and mis-
scellaneous" and other equally indefinite items
in the Cuban accounts.
In the accounts of Director General RathbOne.
for example, the sum of $lI,313 30 is charged 70
per dem.' That was the total for the year
1899 This. il appears not expended in that
year for day wages. but for allowances or
"perqusites' enjoyed by himself and members
of his official and clerical staff. which
large and very expensive one. resembling in
those respects that OF a Governor of Indian
or African province rather than that of a Gov
ernor OF a Territory like New Mexico or Okla
homa. II is reported that in addition TO his sal
airy of $500 year the Director-Cseneral re-
ceived per diem allowance" amounting TO So
or 81 .S25 a year. and that the head OF each of
the ten eleven bureaus which constituted
the Department of Posts" received a similar
allowance at the rate of So day. The regu-
lar yearly salaries ranged from $1,000 to
$1,000. There also force of inspectors
and clerks who received per diem allowances"
ranging from 81 25 for a 81 200 clerk 20 50
more for inspectors and clerks of the higher
grades. There was exercise OF parsimony in
that branch of the Director Generals official
establishment.
1t is also reported that the Director-C General
himself enjoyed other large official perqui-
sites; that the rent of the Palace" occupied
by him a residence. in which he up a
court rivalling in magnifcence and splendor
that of the Military Governor of Havana was
paid out of the postal revenues of Cuba; that
expensive alterations and repairs of the Pal
ace'' also paid for out of the Cuban reve-
nues. A member of the Senate Committee has
also been informed that among other large
items of expenditure charged under the head Of
miscellaneous in the Director Generals ac-
counts for the last year was one amounting TO
81. 300 for upholstery, drygoods etc. purchased
at a single establishment in the United States.
This and many other equally questionable eX-
pendtures borne by the revenues of Cuba
The heading miscellaneous" covered total
Of S495+4 Sc; the heading building and
rairs'' covered total of $50 9f1 40; the heading
rent covered total Of S11o09 H.
The four totals under the headings per diem.''
miscellaneous" building and repairs and
rent make an aggregate of S113,3oS %. Be
sides these there is charge of SI49f - for
transportation" distinguishing il from mail
transportation and star route service The
amount of S7.494 -, therefore was evidently
not expended in payment for carrying the mails
If it be added to S113. sos 20 the total will
amount TO S121 15S 81. To this should be added
So, 1Oo 26 for carriage. harness and equipment
another "perquisite" of the Director-Genera-
making aggregate of 1924 SOB IL This was
S46,441 43 in excess Of the total expenditures on
account of star route service mail trans
portation. letter carriers. railway postal clerks
mail messengers. mail wagons and mail bags
which amounted TO only SIS. .422 81 The total
per diem allowances alone amounted to more
than ID per cent of that total. and it in turn
amounted to less than So per cent of the total
amount paid salaries to Director-CfeneraI
Rathbone and his official and clerical staff at
the headquarters Of the Cuban postal service.