The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-07-16

OF the time each day. b cause had some
business matters. and I could write my
letters there and It would not be in con
lict with any service ! could render the
library 1t is a good place TO be and /
spend my summer here Last summer
when Mr. E0phiT went away and Mr. S2-
hiue went away stayed here fp- %S5
NIr Underwood believes evidently that
his staying somewhere in the city and be
ing willing to be present a part of the
time each day. writing letters ON private
business Of his own. was equivalent to
actual service to "a library in the terrible
condition described.
Bat there are many instances of men
ncgI,cting To perform their duties outside
Tho library The folders taking the CT
ders Of Members rather than those of the
/ Ioorke,Ier. are absent "a sreat deal dur
Ing the vacation and other persons are
employed and paid 10y special resolution
10 do their work The superintendent of
the folding-roem SAYS
There are-instances where a folder :
transferred 10 The SsrHEer position.
him Z. messenger and I have no jurisdic-
tiou. can't keep them and put them
back to work" q. So
And the Doorkesper testifcs.
Il do not like TO criucise Members, but
that - the situation. They 60 and say,
ne must so home. Il Is absolutely neceS-
. say and he has been permitted TO go
: II. VI
i The Doorkeeper Is further asked:
Have there been any other cases Of
. absenteeism except among the folders2'
/ TIE which he replies:
No sir Except those who naturally
go" ID. 40
( II would appear that these two classes,
those who naturally go" and those who
! go through the artificial assistance of
( Congressman. form a pretty large aggre-
sates Of the service Of the House
/ Many specific instances are given. Thus:
{ Leroy J. Hooker was appointed clerk to
I the Doorkeeper in May. 1891 He vas alb
sent from Washington from the day Of
MS appointment until the following De
( cember without loss Of pay jp- VI s
/ II. Morgan was ''furloughed with pay
half the time he was on the roll. Mr..
! Lyon. the superintendent OF tie folding
room was asked concerning him and one
/ or two others. These are not the only
/ ones who have been paid when not here
and answered. There are dozens of
them % 53D
+ one case is that Ct c c. Leavens, a
/ clerk in the Dewey Hotel in Washington.
who had his afternoons of" and work
/ "a in the foIdinS-room Office and in the
/ Doorkeepers office. reporting at noon.
( Mr.. Glenn. the EoorksSpcr, said that He
I had long line Of endorse ments-"
But the case Of +. II Keller, Of New
York. deserves more extended consider
arioa- He had been upon the roll as an
{ eu1loye II the Cloakroom ever since
July 3. $50 Bu- when enquiries were
made Ter him, ether men, among them
q
not te!I who he vas lap. SIS. - At
last the Superintendent Of the folding
room succeeded II placing him He was
transferred TO my. department" tp- 80
says MI. Lyon. who further testified that
. during three years Keller had been at
work off and on for three OF four
months" The House ComnHttee adds in
its report Of this case:
It as the opinion Of the Doorkeeper
/ that Keller worked six months In
. any event he has not worked over six
months in the nearly four years during
which he has drawn pay, and has not
been in Washington for eleven OF twelve
months" opp ' and Vi.
BY the beneficent system adopted for
the benefit of absent employees he Is
spared the necessity of going to Wash
ington even fer the purpose Of receiving
his salary Mr.. Lyon testiies on this
point:
% Does he come here to draw his pay,
or DO you know2-A. No, sir. the vOUch-
j ers are sent TO him
q Is the roll signed by him?-A No.
sir, ae fills receipts in the disbursing
clerks Office Just the same as all the
50
Mr. Robinson. the disbursing clerk. also
throws light upon this matter. IN the
following testimony:
@ Now this man Keller seems not 70
honor us with mis- presence when he
{ draws his monthly saIary2-A. In that
instance when he Is away he fills out re-
ceipts and puts them inside envelopes
and IL Is a question when he Is away OF
leave Of absence from the department
that gives him permission 10 go I SEE
. that his checks 20 TO him
. @ tby Congressman Long,. And n
would not have To come here in person
. to sign the rolI2-A- No. sir. Because
when q man comes in il Is just ike oul
/ friend Richards When he went there III
got permission from Mr.. Mcdowell 10 bt
. gone some little tune and he came in auC
left enough receipts TO cover the time OF
. his absence At the end Of each month
! we send the check ! VIII say I am
/ banker at home and have followed the
4 banking business al my life. and I an
! president Of national bank now %
= So.
1t IS perhaps a legitimate subject Of in,
/ terest as to whether Mr.. RobinS0u's SIS
TEN Of voluntary contributions and OF
convenient vouchers for absent officers
? / and employees prevails also in his bank
He further testifes:
o Is there any way by which YOU car
/ tell from the record whether a I4an is
/ present in the discharge Of mis- work OF
. uOt2-Nn- sir
@ How DO you learn whether tl.ey arr
/ there2-A Well. that IS just like this
/ Here Is Mr.. Cannon. Chairman OF the APP.
I preparations Committee II his clerk goes
away for two or three months or i Ken
{ cGy +. Rea. OF Mr. CTemer should q
away. IL il no question for me 10 find Ou
whether they are here or not. and u
come up To Mr. Cannon and ask if they
are here. If Mr. Courts comes TO US aut
SAYS h is going away for two month,
an envelope. We viii mail these checks Z
him (p- 50
It must be remembered that the dis
bursting Office which keeps such admirabl,
checks upon the expenditure Of the pub
| lie money itself costs about $4,000 a year
The Moody Committee in its report. tell.
| Us that the present method Of appoiutiu;
employees has existed for many years
1t is very evident from the foregoing
= facts that the positions IN the service O
the House Of Representatives. are regard
/ ed by many Members not as places wher
there are duties to bt performed, but al
siuecures for which there IS public none,
/ TO 5e appropriated or as plumber 10 be di
yided. and the sinister question iuevitabI,
presents itself whether honest Legislation
is to be expected of Congressman who ar
thus guilty Of Withdrawing from tn
Treasury Of the United States these nu
merous small sums for the benefit Of IN
objects of their patronage? Is public viz