The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1911-06-21
LARGE GOBS OF
EXTRAVAGANCE
Seen in Hitchcock's Law
ish Expenditures.
WASTEPAPER BASKETS AT S35
Desks and Tables at $2o8 and
$320-Other Things
in Proportion.
DIFFERENT WITH EMPLOYEES

ton Correspondent of The Herald
Washington. June 17.-Thirty-
five dollar wastepaper baskets. $29s
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 Repub-
lican cut-to-the-quick economy were
revealed In testimony taken before
the House committee on expendi-
lures in the post-office department.
Mr.. Hitchcock sanctioned the ex-
penditure of $500 in refurnishing
three rooms. $4,000 of which went
to furnish the Postmaster Generals
private Office alone. Circassian
walnut furnishings especially design
ed and Manufactured to special or
der, 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 hundred and forty dollars pur-
chased two mahogany davenports
for American royalty; $3.50 brought
In two arm chairs; sos produced o
table,; 1895 purchased a second
desk, and $3.50 a third. A ward
robe to hang coats in. cost 1855.
One rug was purchased at S4S3.75.
Another davenport in Circassian
walnut with pillow" cost Uncle
Sam 1866; draperies in one room,
$500. Parquetry flooring in one
room, $3.50. Telephone table. s64.
Table with black marble top, S64.
One bookcase. $1S5. It cost the
people 1852 to "scrape" the wood
work in the private Office prepara-
tory to new finish. Three hundred
and twenty-five dollars bought
"Doten-Dunton decoration" on the
walls of the private Office.
Such was the measure of Mr..
Hitchcock's economy in matters per-
tanning to his own personal comfort.
In matters concerning the EMPLOYEES
of the Government-the railway
mail clerks for lnstance-he follow
ed entirely different lines of pro-
cedure.
Mr.. Hitchcock figured It out one
day that by making three mail
clerks do the work of four, he could
make a record for economy. The
already over-worked railway mail
clerks were driven beyond the limit
of endurance. Conditions in the
West, especially in the Tenth divis-
ion, became intolerable. Open re-
bellion 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 refus-
ed to return TO work without their /.
associates. This aroused the whole
Northwest. The clerks met in mass
at st. Paul. MINI. They
are now forcing the Postmaster Cen
eral to relent in his plan to econo-
mize by overworking the railway
mail boys.
Strange workings OF the Hitch
,ock economy bump caused the
Postmaster General to pay the full
year salary of $4,000 to A. w. Law
The, Third Assistant Postmaster
General, while the latte sojourned
n New Mexico recuperating his
health and looking after the inter-
,sts of the Republican party. but
no Government service
whatever.
Still another example &c Hitch
.ock economy was his appointment
# a pseudo Tame duck commits
ion" of four of his intimate friends
md staunch political supporters to
70 on sort of Holy Grail conquest
t the Governments expense. The
commission investigated "time re-
orders" in every large city In the
ountry. managing to disburse In
expenses $1,s70.24.
The average amount spent by