New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-05
THE DAyINWASHINGTON

REAL ECONOMY. Senator snooo+ has
reported 10 the Senate for the Committee
on Printing bill designed to correct "a
great abuse and wasteful extravaganza in
the expenditure of the public money In
effect this measure will limit the binding
Of public documents in half morocco or
other not more expensive material 10 one
copy Of each for each member Of Congress
II has been the custom of members Of Con
gress 70 order bound such volumes ss they
might desire. while additional comics wers
held by the Public Printer as reserve
which might he bound on the reuuisition Of
/ 2 member at any time AS long ago as
1905. William r Turner. printing clerk #
the Senate, called attention to the abuse
growing out Of this custom. Members would
have bound such volumes as they actually
desired. and then at the end Of 4 session.
and usually at the behest Of the bookbind-
ers union, they would give a blanket order
70 bind all volumes in the reserve. In 1908
the binding of those volumes which mem
bers wished for their own use cost the GOV
eminent $4,000. while the binding Of the
reserve" cost $4,000. It has taken five
years for the Committee on Printing TO
realize the force of Mr. Turner's recon-
mendation. but the adoption of the Smoot
GOO year in the binding for members Of
Congress alone. while it might cause 2
further saving through the decrease Of the
number of useless bound volumes used to
defrsud the government whenever the mails
are weighed. Fortunately, al this reserve
old not find its way into the mails. as <
shown by the fact that as recently as
January IS. 1910. the Public Printer was
authorized to dispose of 112.04 pounds Of
reserve publications IS waste paper at 10
of cent pound
RAISING THE MAINE-The adoption
by the Senate to-day of the Loud bill pro
viding for the raising Of the wreck of the
hattleship Maine in Havana Harbor com
pletes the legislative portion of the second
act Congress has adopted for this purpose.
The first ball. passed in 1925. appropriated
only 100000 and although firm OF Chi
cago contractors bid for and obtained the
contract they abandoned II, presumably
because they found their bid too low 10
permit of their carrying it out without loss.
The bill passed to-day carries an approprt-
alton of $4,000. which the Secretary of the
Navy has advised Congress will probably
prove sufficient to cover the expense 1t is
feared that it will be found that the only
feasible method Of removing the remains
of the battleship will be by blowing it to
pieces and removing il piecemeal How
much of the bones of those who went down
with the ship can be recovered is entirely
a matter of conjecture, but. of course
nothing but bones will be found All that
can be identified will be brought 10 Wash
ington and buried in Arlington with mill
tary honors. The removal of the wreck
will be d cause of qualification to Cuba, as
1t constitutes serious menace to navi6a-
ton.
POSTAL ECONOMIES-Pos Cen
eraI Hitchcock advised Congress to-day
that he had handed back 10 the Secretary
Of the Treasury 100000 OF the funds pro-
vided to meet the postal deficit and that he
expects to be able to return 100000 more
by the end OF the fiscal year. Mr.. Hitch
cock believes the deficit for this year Will
be $l00m,op0 less than last year. On recon-
mendatfOn OF the Postmaster General the
Senate Committee on PoStoffices has favor
ably reported a bill abolishing the return
postcard receipt for registered mail except
where such Is requested by the sender Mr..
Hitchcock believes this will effect saving
of 10000 a year Another bill reported
favorablv provides for the abolition of the
letter of advice for money orders, which
Mr.. Hitchcock believes will save 100000.
Another bill reported favorably requires re
ceptacles for mail at the entrances to all
buildings and is expected TO save from
81 opo.0oO to 100000 a year, while still an
other provides that where mail bears in
sufficient postage double the deficiency
shall be collected on delivery. This, it is
estimated will save several hundred Ibou-
sand dollars. @. q. II.