Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1911-06-16
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
By CLYDE H. TAvENNER.


Thirty-fve dollar wastepaper baskets,
1898 desks and $500 tables were some of
the little economies effected by Postmaster
General Hitchcock in furnishing his red
room" and brown room" offices. These
and other striking examples of Republican
-the-quick economy were revealed in
testimony taken before the House COM
mittee on expenditures in the Postoffice
Department.
Mr.. Hitchcock sanctioned the expendi-
ture of So. 500 in refurnishing three rooms,
$4,000 of which went to furnishing the
Postmaster Generals private office alone.
Circassian walnut furnishings especially
designed and manufactured to special Or
der, and specially designed carpets and
draperies furnished the nucleus of this ex-
penditure.
All supplies were bought without sub
jecting the lucky dealer who secured the
contracts to competition. He had but to
state his price and secure an order upon
the treasury. Five hundred and forty dol
lars purchased two mahogany davenports
for American royalty; $3.50 brought in two
arm chairs; $98 produced table; $295
purchased a second desk, and $3.50 a third
A wardrobe to hang coats in cost $265.
One rug was purchased at $483.75. An
other davenport in Circassan walnut with
pillow" cost Uncle Sam $685.; draperies
in one room, $780, ParQuetry flooring in
one room, 1882. Telephone table, $64
Table with black marble top, $64. One
bookcase, $196. 1t cost the people $3.50
to "scrape" the woodwork in the private
office preparatory to new finish. Three
hundred and twenty-five dollars bought
"DOten-Dunt0n decoration" on the wall of
the private Office.
Such was the measure of Mr.. Hitchcock
economy in matters pertaining to his own
personal comfort. On matters concerning
the employees of the government the rail-
way man clerks for instance-he followed
entirely different lines of procedure
Mr.. 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 Over-wOrked railway mail
clerks were driven beyond the limit of en-
durance. 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 associates. This aroused the
whole Northwest. The clerks met in mass
meeting at st. Paul, MINI. They are now
forcing the Postmaster General to relent
in his plan to economiZe by OverwOrking
the railway mail boys.
Strange workings of the Hitchcock econ
omy bump caused the Postmaster General
to pay the full year salary of $4,000 to
A. w. Lawshe, Third Assistant Postmaster
General, while the latter soj0urned in New
Mexico recuperating in health and looking
after the interests of the Republican party,
but performing no government service
| whatever.
Still another example of Hitchcock econ
Omy was his appointment of pseudo
lame duck commission" of four of his in
innate friends and staunch political sup
pOrters to 90 on sort of Holy Grail con-
quest at the governments expense. The
commission Investigated time recorders"
in every large city in the country, manag-
ing to disburse in expenses $1,97024.
The average amount spent by each man
for subsistence was between nine and ten
dollars day. Transportation expenses
for each man during periods 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. and, in fact, almost everything
possible in such CATEGORY except laundry,
cigars and florists bills The arstocratic
Hotel Willard in Washington, the Astor in
New YORK and kindred hostelries were
employed to shelter the government ennis
saries. Porter fees average so cents. AL
ways the commissioner" purchased Pull
man tickets, and cab fares are thickly
sprlnkled among the vouchers. Sometimes
the commissioners travelled alone, but gen.
orally together, as behoOves any well-or-
dered. 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 government
is Saving" on them.
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