The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-06-18
COSTLY FURNITURE
POSTMASTER GENERAL AUTHOR
lied SPENDING $4,000 FOR
FURNISHING PRIVATE
OFFICE.
Two Mahogany Davenports For $54o
Two Arm Chairs $3.50; Draperles
$500; Wardrobe $685. And
Other Things.
(By Tavenner.)

lie economies effected by Postmaster
General Hitchcock III refurnislhing
is fred room" and Drown room"
|, ffices These aEll o.her examples OF
eSrbL2an extravaganza were reyeai-
d in testimony taken by the Hcu G
ommittee on expenditures In
he Postoifice department.
Mr.. Hitchcock sanctioned the eS.
]enditure OF $500 In refurnishing
.h.ee rooms, $4,000 Of which went to
,rrnish the Postmaster generals prl-
yate office alone. Circassian waint,,
furnishings especially designed and
manufactured, and specially designed
carpets and drapere. furnished tHe
| nucleus of the expenditure.
In no instance were bids advertised
'or, or competition permitted The
ucky dealed had but to state his pr;ce
ana secure an order upon the treas
Try. Five hundred and forty dollars
purchased two mahogany davenports
for American royalty; 1890 brought
in two arrchairs s9S produced a
| table; 1898 purchased a second desk,
! and $lC0 a third A wardrobe to hans
| ots in cost $2G5. One rug was prr.
| -hasad at SiS3.75, Aac,het deyea-
| BORT in Circas ian 'walnat with r:,-
| ow" cost Uncle Sam S3G5. prare I.
| los for one room cost 5000, Parluetry
100 ing in one rom cost 1888. A teie.
phone table cost $G5. 4 table with
| black marble top also cost SEA. /,
| cost $685. TO scIape" the woodwCrH
in the private office preparatory ID
| new finish. 4.a
Such was the measure of Mr. HiOc...
| cocks economy in matters pertaining
to his own personal comfort. In ma;'
| ters concerninf the employees 1.-THE
ailway mail clerks for instance-hc
followed entirely different lines OF
| Procedure.
| Mr. Hitchcock figured it out one
lay that by making three men do the
work Of four, he could make recoro
( for economy in the railway mail di
| vision The already overwOrked rail
way mail clerks were driven beyono
the limit of endurance. Conditions in
the west, especially in TIE tenth divi-
sion, be came in,nlerable. Open re-
teIlion broke ont on HE Pierre-Tracy
inc, The men refusing TO do the extra
work. imposed upon them Ten men
we're suspended Then five OF then:
| we're reinstated, but refused to return
TO work without their associates
This aroused the whole northwest. the
| clerks met in mass meeting at S.
| Paul, MINI. They are now forcing the
| postmaster general to relent in his
Ian TIC economic by overworking the
railway mail boys
Strange working of the HitchcocR
economy bump also caused tine Pos;
master General to pay the full year
salary of $4,000 TO w. A. Lawsne
tiird assistant postmaster genera
while the latter soiourned in New
| Mexico recurerating in health anu
fooldhg after the interests or the re-
publican party but performing nc
| government service whatever,
Still another example of HitchcocB
economy was his appointment or I;
| pseudo lame duck commission or
four of his intimate friends anG
stanunch political supporters to go on
a sort Of Holy Grail conquest at the
| governments expense. The com.
mission investigated thine records
in various cities, and managed to dis
burse in expenses sums that would
have gene a long way toward making
unnecessary the discharge of railway
mail clerks.
| The average amount spent by eaen
of the committee for subsistence was
between nine and ten dollars a iay.
Transportation expenses for each man
for period Of less than two months
averaged $500. Among many items oi
| expenditures charged to ami paid by
| Uncle Sam appear barber rees, Datn
| charges, telephone bills, shines news
stand charges, in fact, almost every.
| thing possible in such category ex'
cept laundry, cigars and florists bills
The Hotel Willard in washington, the
Astor in New York and Kindred nos.
| telries were employed TO shelter the
| government emmissaries. Porter
fees averaging SO cents. The Com.
missoners" always purchased Pull.
man tickets, and cab fares are thickly
sprinkled amoung the vouches. Some.
times the commissioners travelled
olone but generally together, as be.
hooves and well.ordered, pleasure
loving government committee.
How gratifying all this must be to
the discharged postal clerks and while
j'they sit and figure out how much the
| government is saving" on them.
i \