New-York tribune., 1900-05-18
A CHECK on JUNKETS.
WOULD STRIKE AT THE ROOT OF
A FLAGRANT ABUSE.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l


Washington, May 1.-THE nuisance and extrava-
gance of the numerous official commissions and
boards usually secondary and sometimes frivolous
In character which these dispatches have in vari'
GUS ways recently emphasized, would receive a
serious check Congress to adopt Senator
Chambers bill. introduced December g. which
provides:
That no Senator Representative in Congress or
Judge Of any court of the United States shall be
President or anv Department To- act While holding
such office of Senator or Representative Judge,
sentative of the Executive Branch Of the Govern
ment in the performance of any function what tever
IN IN & behaI Of the President or Government of the
feature of an ncraasing 'b b ybib C % has @ aIreadv
be traced to the doors Of Congress Itself This
ment Of senators and RePresentatives such
their creation. And when proposed for
of its provisions and alleged necessity Doubtless
some of the official commissions have fulfilled ex-
the greater number answered no satisfactory requi
denenfs ts and Soud better have been entirely
useless summer Journeys at the public expense;
and Mr.. Chambers measure would at once largely
s1Tta and m perhaps eventually eradicate it. As an
ploitaton in those travelling parties, otherwise
Stocked NTH IN ahnuay "n take Wings
for the coasts and all northern points of the com
tain they would be less heard of if Congress would
gested BY Mr.. chander's little BIZ and formally
decline hereafter to countenance them with the
protecting shield of its membership or encourage
ment in any form whatever. But it must set its
foot down firmly There is no authority except
Gongress Con which can nterpose effectively against
vainly endeavored to arrest it by throwing out
panying private Individuals having nothing to do
Journeys the private contingent far optnumbers
expense The War Department auditor once threw
was warrant of law for it $1,000 charge.
On appeal the account was passed TO payment
an ex offlcio member of this particular Com
mission. and that, had he accompanied the four
tain the Presidential dignity private car must
have been engaged Therefore. although the Pres.
these inspections, the real Commissioners were
entitled to the luxury. 1t queer precedent
to establish. and one which opens a wide door for
future expansion.
The word tunket. now familiar to newspaper
readers Originally meant sweetmeat a delicaey.
subsequently,, as verb; it was used to describe a
ern Intelligence and practice deduced a new
ing for the nearly obsolete word, and it was ap-
hclals at the public expense Washington Irving
significantly spoke of ali the junketings and
trates were equally famous with their modern an
cestors." Thus it appears that the junketeer, to
the word has taken new scope. 1t is used most
often to indicate chiefly Journey for private pleas;
retaining flavor of its antecedent meaning. for
feund as 81 we as transported as the accounts Of
the late Beef Commission fully demonstrates; The
a dinna W nbIir exnense nnless If MOVES
journey to get there"
But, whatever delicate shades of meaning this
may have had in Irvng's day Or the days Of the
ury Department expressed in a much more com
mon English word expenditure This, is the. CLOS
canoe ancient we'll as modern and immediate.