Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1900-02-28
COST OF THE INVESTIGATION.
The Democratic Laundry Work A Big Under
taking For the Senate Committee.

taking For the Senate Committee.
Walter Wellman, the well-known
Washington correspondent Of the
Chicago Times-Herald, In the course
Of a long article on the Clark sena-
torial case, says:
"The Ease will assuredly end with
In the coming week sc far Ia the TAX
ing Of testimony In concerned. Then
will come the deliberations OF the
committee In executive session, the
discussions, the formulating OF ma
jority and minority reports, II two
reports are to follow, and the final
report to the senate and action by
that body.
One hundred witnesses will have
been summoned ere the full quota Of
evidence Is in. The average cost Of
each witness to the government will
be something yer $500. Under the
old rule, 8 cents a mile was allowed
both ways unless beyond the 10th
degree OF longlture, when Z cents a
mile was allowed. Three dollars a
day was also allowed each witness,
counting from the time he reported
to the committee until the commit
tee discharged him. That would
have brought the average expense OF
each witness In the Clark case up to
$3.50 and the total amount for wit
nesses would have been $50, 900.
Senator Hoar figured these facts
out and some time early In January
framed and presented a resolution In
the senate providing that witnesses
be given their actual travelling ex-
penses coming and going and that 80
per diem be allowed for them. This
was agreed to, and the Clark investi-
cation Ia being conducted on this
plan. All similar designations that
are to follow will be directed on this
basis. This reduces the cost over
800 for each witness. Each person
that was brought here from Mon
tana travels four days coming and
four days going home, eight days in
all. The Hoar resolution provided
that each witness be given his per
diem from the time he left home until
he returned there.
Thus the largest item In the ex-
pense account ehargeable to the
Clark investigation is for witnesses,
which will be from $4,000 to 5000.
Already 1000 pages of stenographic
testimony have been taken and the
bill for this will be fully $500. Add
fees for summons and incidentals
and the government will have to pay
about $50. 900 for investigating the
political corruption In Montana.
OF course this Is only on the side of
Uncle Sam. Senator Clark and Mar
Gus DAILY personally r spending for
tunes In the prosecution OF their re-
spective cases. Counsel on either
side are dra wing immense fees, and
there are many other bills to be paid,
some of u nature now only guessed
at here IN Washington.
Clark IL paying heavily for a lot OF
rooters he has brought here in the
interest of the case. They are dub
bed his "whoopcrs-up" here, and are
a lively lot who jump whenever their
employer pulls n string, areconstant-
ly within reach, and ear be relied up
on to do anything for Clark, no mat
ter what the anything" may be.
They have been trying to stampede
the committee in favor of their chief,
but aside from being an interesting
adjunct to the set from Montana and
causing some little curiosity as to
their movements they are not max
ing any impression one way or the
other.
A Washington paper figured out
today that $50 Montana people are
In Washington at this moment,
brought here by the Clark cuse. Add
to this number the scores who have
come and gone and an idea 81 the
fight being waged In the capital of
the United States between Senator
Clark and Marcus Daily a be
gained.