Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1907-08-11
NATION PAYS FOR
OUR SENATOR'S THIRST
ALSO FOR cosMETIoUE, GLOVES
AND HANDkERcHIEFs
Report OF Secretary Bennett Makes
Interesting Reading, but What
Becomes of Supplies
Is Question
Special to The Herald.

Special to The Herald.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 1o-Senators are
thirsty lot. The report of Charles G.
Bennett, secretary of the United States
senate shows that during the last fiscal
year that august body consumed $50 cases
of mineral water costing $45O4 70. Then
there was s2025.S7 for carbonized mineral
water and $olo.97 for lemons and sugar
for the famous senate lemonade, making
total of $6S49.54 for drinkables, and not
drop of anything hard" as far as the
official list shows Since there are ninety
senators the per capita consumption is
about $6 1t should be remembered also
that while there are some senators who
drink great deal of mineral waters
there are also some who drink very little,
and there is much curiosity here as to
who drank the most last year.
Also Buy Cosmetique
But why, in the name of all that is UNI
parliamentary, did any senator need a
skirt trunk costing s26.70? The official
list of expenditures makes no explanation
of this interesting item. Another peculiar
item is that of "cosmetique, 40 cents"
and 1t Is thought this may have been in
CURED about the same time as the skirt
trunk. Two branding irons costing SO. So
are on the list and it is supposed they
were supplied to Senator Tillman.
An echo of the good old days when the
senators received free transportation
from the railroads and were thus enabled
to pocket the 20 cents a mile allowed
by the government is contained in the
item pass cases. $780," There are $SS
worth of feather busters on the list, but
1t is promised that this will not occur
again, as 1t is realized that more effect
i've weapons are required in strife with
the president For sponges the senate
made the modest outlay of $51021.
For the large number of baldheads in
the senate remarkable quantity of prep
arations for the hair was used. Here are
some of the entries: Bay. rum, $30.25;
witch hazel, $14; hair tonic, s3257; bril-
liantine, $1.20.
A silver inkstand for the vice presidents
room costing 5000 has been noticed before
in the public prints. Then on the last day
of the last session, when the president
and his cabinet went to the capitol to
help close up the session, they ate $26S5
worth of food for luncheon. No less than
$20975 for manicure sets for the members
of the senate indicates that the fair mani
curists in this town are losing consider
able trade. Six shaving sets at total
cost of s2650 are on the list.
Gloves and handkerchief sets figure
prominently the report, as also do
opera bags, hand bags, engagement pads
and such like.
1t is easy to guess that all of these ar
ticles are utilized by the senators and
their families. but it is puzzling to under
stand who makes way with hundreds of
bushels and pounds of oats, flax seed
meal, bran meal, rock salt, ETC., and they
certainly do not eat axle grease, soap.
rosin, tar spool cotton, cheese cloth,
pumice stone Georgia pine. screen
hinges, brass tacks, wire head nails,
monkey wrenches and paste filters nor is
it reasonable to suppose that these solons
drink mustang liniment, petroleum, tur-
pentine, arnica, mahogany varnish and
lot of other stuff which is bought in
wholesale lots. These probably were,
bought for the horses on the senate mail
delivery wagons and the vehicles them
selves