Sunday morning globe., 1901-12-08

The Commissioners for the District Of
Columbia have made their estimates for the
coming fiscal year and have asked that an
appropriation Of $40, AL, % be made TO
meet them
Il is presumed that the commissioners
have carefully examined the conditions
existing and have asked for what they be-
lieve will meet the needs of the District If
they have not made such examination they
are guilty of gross laches because without
thorough knowledge of their wants they
might possibly ask for much more than
would be necessary.
Secretary Gage however who has just
taken it upon himself to be careful has rec
commended that only 81, 800, 900 be allowed
thus cutting of s29fL4SL97-a $1,000
ooo 10 must also be presumed that the
Secretary has made some study of the exist
ing situation else me would not have recon-
meuded SO great a reduction His action in
the premises is an the more surprising
when it Is remembered-loo into his
former conduct and management Of the
uauOu's hnauccs-that heretofore he has not
been altogether a careful man in spending
the peoples money We will give one or
two illustrations AT the beginning of the
Spanish War he sent Frank A. Vanderlip.
most likely at government Expense, to Porto
Rico to examine into the financial condition
of that new possession What that fellow
did down there nobody outside of a little
cotcrie in the Treasury Department knows
or ever will know. If known and published
in public document the volume has gone
into oblivion The most that is known is
that the doughty Assistant Secretary re-
turned 20 the United States a rather badly
damaged article in the way Of wheath What
he did to show up Porto Rican finance the
world at large is ignorant
The aforesaid assistant secretary, with
the approval of the chief, spent quite a
little sum of the contingent fund Of the
department in time clocks which he was
afterward compelled to retire by act of Con-
gress Whether there was a commission or
not in that transaction will probably never
be known tits, however, we'll known that
quite a little sum of money was squandered
in that unsavory speculation.
Frank A. Vanderlip afterwards took a
trip to Europe, and In less than four
months learned all about the financial
affairs Of England and continental Europe
he now knows II an. It is insinuated by
unfeeling critics that the Secretary allowed
the expenses of that trip 10 be paid out of
government lNNAns WI AN not kN0M AlluL
this insinuaionis true. We only know the
charge has often been made and never de-
MED by either the Secretary or his late
assistant
The custom house scandal is another in-
stance where charges have been freely made
that all was not fair and the published let
ters show that the Secretary is not at all
backward in bestowiug favors upon his
| friends
Therefore, taking all these things TO-
| gether-little transactions some Of them
| may have beehive cannot help repeating
| that the conduct Of the Secretary in dealing
/ with the District is somewhat Of a surprise
| If he had always been guided by a high
sense of honor we could understand Il; but,
as be has shown himsell-if the truth is
| told and he has never denied charges al
though often been invited to deny them
read 10 indulge In piccadillos, some Of them
not small and which can hardly be called
venial. we cannot now give him credit of
having the best Of motives in inviting a
conflict with the Commissioners. Before
going into the merits Of the controversy and
analyzing the recommendations made pro
and con we prefer TO wait and see the posi-
tion of the independent press and be in
formed what opinion It has Of the action Of
the Secretary.