Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-08-28
GOVERNMENT by COMMISSION.

The Register has heretofore polnleu
out some facts tending to show the ex-
orbitant cost to the people of govern
ment commissions under the Mckinley
regime. Here are few additional
facts, cleaned by Congressman w. D.
Vandiver, of Mississippi, which will af-
ford interesting reading for taxpayers;
1T is impossible to give the exact cost
of the commissions created by President
Mckinley The following IS a partial list:
First Philippine CommissiOn( after
battle of Manila. ZIO,OVV
Second Philippine Commission
Denby, Worcester and Schur-
Peace Commission ............. 222. 931
sionar ,''..... 1000
RimetalIic Commission ......... 5000
Alger Army Commission. 10000
samoan Commission ............, so, coo
Queens Jubilee Commission........ $4,000
Special Paris Exposition Commits
sion ....................... 50'VUO
Reciprocity Commission ............ 10000
ada -. ....................... 10000
Commission ............ $4,000
Hague Peace Commission. $4,000
Hawaiian Commission .............. $4,000
Isthmian Canal Commission. ....... 1000, 600
Insular Commission ................. $4,000
year 49,. 15O,O00
Hon. Charles Hamlin, special COM
missioner to Japan ..!............ 1900
Hon. John w. Foster, special COM
missioner ........ ................. 10000
Hon. Robt. p. Porter, special COM
missioner to Porto Rico and
Cuba ...... ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 80, U0
This does not include the new Phil
ippine Commission (Taft Commission).
The Postal Commission and Califor-
MIA Debris Commission are also omit
ted, as likewise the Mississippi River
Commission and the District of Co
lumbia Commission, as they are under
continuing statutes.
1t is impossible to give the exact ex-
penses of these commissions, except
as to the Paris Commission and the
second Philippine Commission They
are charged upon the books of the
Treasury Department to national de-
Tense and emergency, under the un-
usual and extraordinary column In
this head, in the receipts and disburse-
ments for the year 1899 appear among
other items, the following:
Under the head of National De-
tense in the War Department.
charged to miscellany, is an item
Under the head of Emergency. in
miscellany. is charged an item of 5000 900
Under the head OF Navy Miseella-
neous, under the item of Nation
al Defense c,197, 7O1
the Navy Department is an item
OF -. --'.-.'...'.-..-.'......-. 1896 2b3
These items are put in a lump and
the purpose of such expenditures is
not named. The books themselves
show these expenditures to be unusual
and extraordinary and they are the
only large expenditures which are not
itemized.
In these items are contained the
expenses of the various commissions
and it seems impossible to learn of
what these lump sums consist. All of
the expenses given are estimated. ex-
cept those of the Peace Commission
and the second Philippine Commission.
Applying the rate of cost known to
exist as to these two commissions,
while based only upon estimates, are
probably too low rather than too high.
Government by commission seems
to be an expensive luxury. But as the
government has gone into the commits
sion business, the people must foot the
bills.