The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-01-04
UNCLE SAM FO0TS
BILLS FOR COSTLY
JUNkETS
Carefully Itemized Report Tells How
Government Pays For Lemons,
Face Powder, Perfumes, etc,
For Senator'S.
Trips Frilled With Excessive Porters'
Fees, and $4,000 Is Spent For
Senatorial Mineral Water.
BY gibson GARDNER.


\ itemized list OF the expense money
dragged down annually by United
states senator's is contained in that
edifying volume published annually.
entitled the Report of the Secretary
2 OF the Senate, submitting a full and
complete statement OF the receipts
and expenditures of the senate from
July l, 1909, to June 80. 1910"
The report contains 1886 pages and
is replete with human interest. Its
chief literary quality Is Its suggestive
" ness. What Louis ID. Brandeis could
do with this report, applying his Sher-
lock Holmes mind wonld certainly
be something TO thrill the general
public.
Open the volume at random we find
on page Go, for example, an item like
this: Aug. 4, Benefits Magazine
Agency: For the Century. Outlook,
North American Review, Review or
= Reviews, Harper's Monthly, McClures
Worlds Work, Delineator. Every
body's Harper's Weekly and Literary
Digest furnished Hon. c. d. Clark,
from July 1. 1909. to June 80, 1910.
s24.7O."
Now, there Is thrifty senator
charging his intellectual pabulum up
to the senate contingent fund and his
conscience never has a qualm!
The thrifty Simon Guggenhelm,
however, saves the pennies, charging
Up the Denver Post, his home paper,
to the senate. Thereby he saves $3.50
in a year. This will help buy some
y more smelling stock.
The senate used some paste. From
James S. Topham. between July Ia
and Jan. 81, the secretary spent $29.25
for various barrels Of paste.
On page 1870 we come TO an inter-
esting bit of nepotism:
''E. Fl. Hepburn for services as as
sistant to the special joint commit
tee on the revision OF the laws OF the
United States, appointed under public
resolution No. So, ETC.. at S416.66 per
! month-$20S.33.' This item We find
repeated every two weeks through
the volume. f. M. Hepburn is broth
er Of United States Senator Hepburn.
This Is one of the various Instances
where relatives and lame ducks are
carried on this roll.
/ Defeat Didn't Affect Him.
On the opposite page occurs the
first mention of James A. Hemenway,
former United States senator from
Indiana: For services as special os-
sistant to the committee on appropria'
lions, making an investigation, under
authority OF senate resolution NO. 235,
etc. at $500 per annum." This Is just
the same as regular senate salary,
SO Mr.. Memenway suffered nothing by
being defeated III Indiana. His pals
IN the senate saw that his salary
went on, the only difference being
that IL came from the contingent fund
instead of from some other place.
few pages further and we come
70 the expense OF the so-called Sc
lect commit ees." otherwise the jun
keting committees which trapse about
the country during the recess period.
One of these was organized by Sena-
tor Tom Carter with the nope that IL
would help his reelection. and with
the official purpose TO investigate the
various reclamation projects.
This junket cost the public quite
literally. A few items will show how
our senators travelled on this occa-
sion. On page 140 we find the item:
Pullman car service. car Portland,
Chicago to Portland and return,
ss12.5O" Next is this little item:
Congressman Thomas X. Haner.
Idaho. Boise to Burnley, TO Lewiston,
to Nampa, TO st. Anthony, $5O.1O."
Query: What was Hamer doing
aboard and why did he have his eX-
penses paid?
Next to the Hamer item is this:
"Mr. w. b. Davis the Anaconda Stan
dard-Glendive TO Billings, TO Cody,
to Helena; Helena to Spokane, via
Shelby, Culbertson and Kalispell,
S66.8O." 1t Is remembered by the
members of the party that Davis was
local newspaper man who came
aboard and had talk with Ballinger
and wrote up the dope" about Bal
linger and about the Carter junket in
the way that the statesmen like to see
such things written. He seemed to
be the guest of the party, but whether
he was or not, isn't it funny that the
government pays the expenses OF q
local newspaper man in covering his
n assignment?
Voucher No. SO shows that Tom
Carter, when he travels at govern
ment expense, has TO have Pullman
section; one berth is not enough. IL
cost $12 to pay his Pullman fare from
Cheyenne to Butte. Paynter also
travels in a section. Newlands used
the drawing room between Cheyenne
and Reno. and IL cost the government
s27. Borah put in an account for SO
for a berth
The account shows that on Aug
%, the Pennsylvania Railroad Co,
furnished a private car for the mem
bers of the select committee going
from Washington, ID. c., TO Chicago,
1T cost OF 1882. The members who
we're on this part of the trip were
Carter, Warren. Flint, Chamberlain
and Paynter, On Aug. %, ii cost
S5S5 TO transfer this committee from
;he station a. Seattle TO the hotel
Fees paid to porters at Hotel Wash
ngton in Seattle al one time were
$3.50 Next TO this item appears
fees and porterage on Great North
ern dining car from ST Paul TO Seat
tle from Aug II To 80 inclusive,
$40" some fees,
There are lot OF little items BIKE
these. Meals for l.. +. Crawford and
:. Murphy. restaurant, Seattle.
Aug., % to 81. $3.50" Board and
odeing at Seattle. Wash. for Sena.
TORI Carter, Warren, Paynter End
employees from Aug % 10 81 in.
/ elusive. $i25.30." Fees paid TO w.