Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-15

proved fashion for persons other than
those mentioned i'm my amendment; and
unless the Congress takes some action in
this matter it is only question of time
when all the assistant secretaries. all the
chief clerks, all the clerks-in fact. all peo-
pie on the government pay roll. except sem
ators and representatives, viii be riding in
carriages guided and directed by coachmen.
and all the expenses paid by the COVE n
ment of the United States. l would say in
tbs connection, Mr.. Chairman. that the
judges of the Supreme Court pay their own
carriage hire. The Speaker of this House
pays his carriage hire. The Vice President
OF the United States pays his carriage hire.
But scores of undersecretaries commission
ers. chiefs of bureaus. and others ride in
state at public expense. The money thus
used is diverted from the legitimate chan
rel. and 1t is to correct this abuse that l
offer this amendmen. No money used in
this way has been used with the sanct on
of this Congress. and the abuse is becom-
ing so fragrant that / insist that 1t is time
for us to put some limitation upon the ex-
penditure.
THE heads of these departments take adj
vantage of some of these appropriations
and they turn the money in such a way
that 1t can be taken advantage of by their
suDord1nates. We make appropria tons for
wagons. and behold. they tn up car
rlages; we make appropriations for labor
ers, and 10, they turn up as coachmen: we
make appropriations that contemplate the
purchase of draft horses, when the money
goes to gladden. the heart of some fellow
ambitious to drive the streets behind a
fashionable horse with high knee action. In
a vehicle that would pass muster in an in
augural parade
Mr.. HemenwaJ. Mr.. Grosvenor and others
expressed their approval of the amend
ment. The latter said that next year he
would propose a carriage for the Speaker
He would do so now If the occupant of the
chair would allow it,
Mr.. Hull said he knew of a number of
under government officials who are riding
in carriages The practice was not a new
one, he emphasized. He thought it should
be stopped.
Mr.. Gambler Vigorously Protests.
Mr.. Gambler of Georgia made a vigorous
protest against the practice. He said:
The whole practice as it has grown up N
this city Is a miserable piece of business.
which should be condemned in no uncertain
terms and put an end to, now and forever
If these gentlemen who haye been using
those carriages to which they have had no
right in law or in morals want to ride in
carriages. nobody Will object. provided they
go down in their own pockets and pay for
them out Of their own funds and not filth
the money out of the treasury of the United
States with which to pay the bills. l am
not opposing men riding in carriages, bug
gies, wagons other vehicles, anything
that suits their taste and their own pocket
book, but 1 am intensely opposed to public
officials, Or anybody else for that matter.
riding in vehicles to which they are not en-
titled at public expense, thus squandering
the peoples money to put style or to
crafty their desires for display and luxury
and to accommodate their own comfort
without authority of law and in violation of
law. Such expenditure of public money
might we'll be looked after by those high in
authority and the guilty ones made to suf-
fer for their wrongdoing. and this small
and large filching of the public moneys
sternly and emphatically stopped and stop
ped permanently"
The amendment was adopted by the com
mittee, and subsequently by the House.