Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1901-08-22
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent
WAsu1NcroN Ann 10 1901

from our corresponding
WASHINGTON, Aug. 10, 1901.
Rear Admiral Schley, who has been i'll
Washington for several days and will
probably remain until the close of the
Court of Inquiry, looks like man who
knows he is right and is absolutely certain
Of winning. He spends much time with
his counsel, giving them pointers in the
preparation of the program that will be
followed by them during the inquiry. To
day all three of his counsel-Judge Jere-
miah M. Wilson, Hon. Isidor Rayner,
Attorney General of Maryland and Capt.
Parker-made formal call on Acting Sec
rotary Hacket for the purpose of presenting
Schley's supplementary list of witnesses to
be ordered before the Court, and to ask for
a list of the Navy Departments witnesses
Acting Secretary Hackett has promised
that Admiral Schley will be furnished a
list of the Department witnesses as soon as
it is completed Admiral Schley regrets
having to abandon his purpose of accom-
panying the Washington Knights Templars
that it would not be good taste for him to
do so under the circumstances; that it
might be thought that he was seeking to be
lionized by his fellow Templars for effect.
When he promised to go with the Wash
ington Commanders, of which he is a MEM
Der. he had no idea that he would, at this
time, be preparing to appear before Court
of Inquiry.
fho, fl,a ut
rageous treatment of Rear Admiral Schley,
why courageous and fair-minded Con
gressional Committee could do the country
real service by thoroughly investigating
all branches of the Navy Department One
of them may be found closely connected
with the cruiser Columbia, which cost
s., 000, 600 less than ten years ago, and
which was allowed to rust at the League
Island Navy Yard until in danger of sink
ing, with no care taker other than single
Waterman, and which was lately sent to
the Brooklyn Navy Yard to be used as a
receiving ship. Although built for speed
and regarded by outsiders as one OF the
finest ships of its class, the Bureau OF
Navigation has from the day it was first
put in Commission, assigned the Columbia
to obscure tasks. The reason ascribed for
this would appear ridiculous, if it were not
SO obviously true. The Columbia was de-
signed by Rear Admiral Hichborn, who has
always been an outspoken friend of Admiral
Schley, and has in consequence been con-
stantly opposed by the Bureau OF NaViga-
ton. The country certainly has right to
know whether there was any other reason
than spite OF envy for the deliberate plans
of the Bureau of Navigation to lay up Il
S., 600, 600 cruiser in order that neglect
might make it useless, and Congressional
Committee could find out, if it went about
it the right way.
The lower grade clerk in the post Office
department who was discovered working on
the night force of the Census Bureau, was
compelled to resign the latter place because
director Merriam could not countenance the
drawing of two government salaries by one
man-after it had been made public. The
heads of other government bureaus do,
however, countenance the drawing of two
salaries by one man. Here are some prom
inent cases that are well-known: Maj. VIM.
p Huxford, draws 81, 100a year as a retired
Captain in the army, and about the same
amount as Clerk of the Senate Committee
on Military Affairs; Charles E. Morse
draws s., 100 a year as a retired Army
Captain, and 81, 600 year as Disbursing
Clerk of the .. S. Bureau OF Labor; Her
man Schreiner draws 81, 100 as retired
Captain, and So, 900 as a clerk in the Office
of Commissioner of Railroads. There are
others, but these examples are sufficient to
show that the law against the drawing of
two government salaries is dead letter,
whenever the man who wishes to do the
drawing has pull enough. In addition to
two salaries, the officials mentioned above
enjoy as retired army officers the privilege
of purchasing all their family supplies from
the o. S. Quartermaster's Department, at
the wholesale price which the government
pays for them, quite valuable privilege
to the man who purchases the supplies of a
large house.
Another petty thief in the government
service has come to grief. For long time
small sums of money have from time to
time been stolen from the Patent Office
mail, and the thief not detected. The
funds have, as rule belonged to inventors.
A few days ago, an envelope containing
$50 05, which was placed in the custody of
the Chief Clerk, disappeared. Commits
sioner Allen made an investigation and was
satisfied by the evidence that it was stolen
by Edward V. Shepard, who had been Chief
Clerk of the office for little more than
three years, and he was, accordingly, dis
missed from office-there is seldom any
delay in knocking out the little official
thieves 1t is not known whether crimi-
nal prosecution will follow, but as Shep-
ards wife has big social pull-that was
what got him his iob-it is doubtful.