The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-06-16

ty-five dollar wastepaper paskets, $298
desks and 1920 tables were some Of
the little economies effected by Post
master General Hitchcock in furnish
ing his red room" and brown room"
Offices, These and other striking ex-
ainples of Republican cut-to-the-Quick
economy were revealed in testimony
taken before the House committee on
expenditures in the postoffce depart
ment
Mr. Hitchcock sanctioned the ex-
penditure of $500 In refurnishing
three rooms, $4,000 of which went to
furnishing the Postmaster Generals
private office alone Clrcassian 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 secure
an order upon the treasury. Five nun
dred and forty dollars purchased two
mahogany davenpor.s for American
royalty: $3.50 brought in two arm
chairs; $9S produced table; 1895 pur-
chased second desk, and $3.50 a
third. A wardrobe to hang coats in
cost s265. One rug was purchased at
$4S3.75. Another davenport in Cir
cassian walnut with pillow cost Un.
Gle Sam 1855; draperies in one room,
5000. Parquetry flooring in one room,
1882. Telephone table, SG4. Table
with black marble top, S64 One book.
case, $196, 1t cost the people 1852 to
"scrape" the woodwork in the private
Office preparatory to new finish. Three
hundred and twenty-five dollars
bought "Doten-Dunton decoration
on the walls of the private once.
Such was the measure of Mr.. Hitch
cocks economy in matters pertaining
to his own personal comfort. In mat
ters concerning the employees of the
government-the railway mail clerks
for instance-he followed entirely diff
ferent lines of procedure.
Mr.. Hitchcock figured il out one day
that by, making three mail clerks do
the work of four. he could make a
record for economy. The already ov-
er-worked railway mail clerks were
driven beyond the limit of endurance
Conditions in the west, especially in
1.-The Tenth division, became intoller-
able. Open rebellion broke out on
the Pierre-Tracy line, the men refus-
ins to do the extra work imposed upon
them, Ten men We're suspended
Then FIVE of them were reinstated
but refused to return to work without
their associates. This aroused the
whole northwest The clerks met in
mass meeting at ST Paul, MINI. They
are now forcing the Postmaster Gen
erai to reient in his plan to economic
by oyerworking the railway mail boys
Strange workings of the Hitchcock
economy bump caused the Postmaster
General to pay the full year salary of
$4,000 to A. W. Lawshe, third assist.
ant postmaster general, while the lat
ter sojourned in New Mexico recuper-
ating in health and looking after the
interests of the Republican party, but
performing no government service
whatever.
Still another example of Hitchcock
pseud lame duck commission" or
four of his intimate friends and
staunch political supporters to go on
sort of Holy Grail conquest at the
governments expense. The commits
sion Investigated time recorders" in
every large city in the country, man
aging to disburse in expenses $1,970.24
The average amount spent by each
man for subsistence was between nine
and ten dollars day. Transports
tion expenses for each man during
periods of less than two months, av.
eraged $780, Among many items OF
=, expenditure charged 10 ana pald Dy
!, Uncle Sam appear barber fees, bath
charges, telephone bills, shines, news
stand charges, in fact almost every
thing possible in such category ex
: cept laundry, cigars and florists bills
: The aristocratic Hotel Willard in
Washington the Astor in New York
;, and kindred hostelries were employed
: to shelter the government emmissar
les. Porter fees average so cents. Al
ways the commissioners" purchased
Pullman tickets, and cab fares are
thickly sprinkled among the vouchers
u Sometimes the commissioners trav
eled alone, but generally together, a!
9 behooves any wellordered, pleasure
q loving government committee.
n How gratifying all this must be t
W 4. al 4.