The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-06-15
Republican Economy Desks at $298 and Tables at $32O Are Some of the
 Items
Other Samples Postmaster General Hitchcock's De- partment Under Investi- Startling Devel- opment.
(Ry TaVenner.l

Washington, June 1o-Thlfy-f1Ve dollar wastepaper baskets, $29s desks and $320 tables were some of the lit tie economies effected by Postmaster General Hitchcock in furnishing his "red room" and brown room offices These and other striking examples of Republican cut-to-the-Quick economy were revealed in testimony taken be- for the House comniteee on expendi- lures in the postoffice department.
 Mr. Hitchcock sanctioned the ex- penditure of s7,500 in refurnishins three rooms, s4O00 of which went to furnishing the Postmaster Generals private office alone. Circassion walnut furnishings especially designed and manufactured to special order and specially designed carpets and draper ies furnished the nucleus of this ex- penditure
 All supplies were bought without subjecting the lucky dealer who se- cured the contracts to competition. He had but to state his price and se- cure an order upon the treasury. Five hundred and forty dollars purchased two mahogany davenports for Ameri- can royalty; $50 brought in two arm chairs; $9S produced a table; $295 pur- chased second desk, and S160 third. wardrobe to hang coats in cost $265 One rug was purchased at $483.75 Am other davenport in Circassian wall nut with pillow cost Uncle Sam $365; draperies in one room $500. Par quetry flooring in one room s2s2, Telephone table $64. Table with black marble top, s64. One bookcase s19S. It cost the people s352 to "scrape'' the woodwork in the private office prep aratory to new finish. Three hundred and twenty-two dollars bought a "Doten-Dunton decoration" on the walls of the private office.
 Such was the measure of MT. Hitch cocks economy in matters pertaining ters concerning the employees of the government-the railway mail clerks for instance-he followed entirely diff ferent lines of procedure.
 MT. Hitchcock figured 1t out one day that by making three mail clerks do the work of four. he could make record for economy. The already ovsr- worked railway mail clerks were driv- en beyond the limit of endurance. Conditions in the west, especially in the Tenth division became 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 work without their associ- ates. This aroused the whole north. west. The clerks met in mass meet ing at St. Paul. Minn. They are now forcing the Postmaster General to re- lent in his plan to economize by .ov- erworking the railway mail boys.
 Strange workings of the Hitchcock economy bump caused the Postmaster General to pay the full year salary of s5.000 to A. W. Lawshe. third as- sistant postmaster general, while the later sojourned in New Mexico recu- perating in health and looking after the interests of the Republican party. but performing no government service whatever.
 Still another example of Hitchcock economy was his appointment of a pseudo "1ame duck commission" of four of his intimate friends and staunch political supporters to go on a 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,s70,- A.
 The average amount spent by each man for subsistence was between nine and ten dollars a day. Transporta- tion expenses for each man during periods of less than two months, av- eraged $500. Among many items of expenditure charged to and paid by Uncle Sam appear barber fees, bath charges. telephone bills, shines, news stand charges, in fact, almost every thing possible in such a category ex- cept laundry, cigars and florists bills. The aristocratfc Hotel Willard in the Astor in New York and kindred hostelries were employ ed to shelter the government emis- saries. Porter fees average 50 cents. Always the "commissioners' pur- chased Pullman tickets, and cab fares are thickly sprinkled among the vouchers. Sometimes the commits sioners travelled alone, but generally together, as behooves any ell-order- ed, pleasure loving government com mittee.
 How gratifying all this must be to the discharged postal employees while they sit and figure out how much the is saving on them.