The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-06-22
Our Washington Letter.

Our Washington Letter.
(By Clyde H. Tavenner, special
Washington correspondent to The
Reporter.)
Washington, June 17.-Thirty-
five dollar waste-paper baskets, 1928
desks and $500 tables were some of
the little economies effected by Post
master General Hitchcock in fur
nishing his red room" and "brown
room" offices. These and other strik-
ing examples of republican QUITO
the-quick economy were revealed in
testimony taken before the house
committee on expenditures in the
postoffice department.
Mr. Hitchcock sanctioned the ex-
penditure of $500 in re-furnishing
three rooms, $4,000 of which went
to furnish the postmaster generals
private office alone. Circassian wal
nut furnishings especially designed
and manufactured to special order,
and specially designed carpets and
draperies furnished the nucleus OF
this expenditure.
All supplies were bought without
subjecting the lucky dealer who Sc
cured the contracts to competition.
He had but to state his price and Sc
cure an order upon the treasury.
Five hundred and forty dollars pur-
chased two mahogany davenports
for American royalty; $3.50 bought
two arm chairs; $9S produced a
table; 1926 purchased a second desk,
and $3.50 a third. A wardrobe to
hang coats in cost $265. One rug
was purchased at $483.75. Another
davenport of Circassian walnut
with pillow" cost Uncle Sam 1865;
draperies in one room, $64. Table
with black marble top, $64. One
bookcase, $196. 1t cost the people
1882 to "scrape" the woodwork in
the private office preparatory to new
finish. Three hundred and twenty
two dollars bought "Doten-Dunton
decoration" on the walls of the pri-
vate office.
Such was the measure of Mr..
Hitchcock's economy in matters per-
tanning to his own personal comfort.
In matters concerning the employees
of the government-the railway mail
clerks for instance-he followed en-
tirely different lines of procedure.
Mr.. Hitchcock figured it out one
day that by making three mail clerks
do the work of four, he could make
a record for economy. The already
over-worked railway mail clerks
were driven beyond the limit 81 en-
durance. Conditions in the west,
especially in the Tenth division, be-
came intolerable. Open rebellion
broke out on the Pierre-Tracy line,
the men refusing to do the extra work
imposed upon them. Ten men were
suspended. Then five of them were
reinstated, but refused to return to
aroused the whole northwest. The
clerks met in mass meeting at St.
Paul, Mimi. They are now forcing
the postmaster general to relent in
his plan to economic by overwork-
ing the railway mail boys.
Strange workings of the Hitchcock
economy bump caused the postmas-
ter general to pay the full years
salary of $4,000 to A. w. Lawshe,
third assistant postmaster general,
while the latter sojournd in New
Mexico recuperating in health and
looking after the interest of the re-
publican party, but performing no
government service whatever.
Still another example of Hitch
cock economy was his appointment
of pseudo lame duck commission"
of four of his intimate friends and
staunch political supporters to go on
a sort of a Holy Grail conquest at
me- hn
mission investigated time record
ers' in every large city in the coun-
try, managing to disburse in ex-
penses $1,970.24.
The average amount spent by each
of the committee for subsistence was
between nine and ten dollars day.
indicating that Mr.. Hitchcock's
friends had healthy appetites. Trans
portation expenses for each man for
period of less than two months,
averaged $500. Among many items
of expenditure charged to and paid
by Uncle Sam appear barber fees,
bath charges, telephone bills, shines,
newsstand charges, in fact, almost
everything possible in such cate
CORY except laundry, cigars and
flowers. The Hotel Willard, in
Washington, the Aston, in New York,
and kindred hostelries were employ
ed to shelter the government ennis
saries. Porter fees average so cents
The commissioners" always pur-
chased Pullman tickets, and cab
fares are thickly sprinkled among
the vouchers. Sometimes the COM
missioners travelled alone, but gener-
ally together, as behooves any we'll
ordered, pleasure loving government
committee.
How gratifying this must be to the
discharged postal clerks while they
sit and figure out how much the gov
eminent is Saving on them.
Senate Committees.
The senate committees are now all
formed for the session. Some of the
committees appointed appear to have
been singularly appropriate.
Senator DUPONT is chairman of
the senate committee on military af-
fairs. It is appropriate to the last
degree that DUPONT should head this
committee, inasmuch as the senator