The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-04-05
FINANCING KNOWS TRIP.
Expenses of Secretary's Central Amer
lean Trip Charged to Stable Fund.

Secretary Knox has had so many an
noyances arising from the activities of
the house committee on expenditures
in the state department that he is a
little wary about the precise author
ity for disbursements that lie in the
debatable land between those that are
regular and those that are of an emer-
gency character.
His experience with the Day por-
trait incident and the lost voucher for
that historical likeness of the former
secretary of state lert a spot on his
usually sunny disposition that if not
sore is at least slightly tender to the
harsh touch of the average Democrat
ic investigator.
Before going on his tour of the
Latin-American republics Mr.. Knox
had recourse to the Varieg~ted wisdom
of Judge Tracewell, comptroller of the
treasury, the wizard of Interpretation
Of statutory construction. He desired
to know beforehand how the bills for
the travelling expenses of himself and
his party were to be paid.
Having been directed by the Presi-
dent to make the tour, the secretary
knew well enough that it was official
and connected with the foreign ser
vice of the department, but it was an
unusual sort of travel. not at all com
parable to sending a minister or a con-
sui to his post of duty, and there
might be some question raised about
paying for railroad tickets and Pull
man berths and dining car meals and
all the various necessities connected
with his proposed junket.
So the secretary wrote the control
Ter expressing his doubt as to whether
such expenses could be paid from APP
preparations for emergencies arising
in the diplomatic and consular ser
vice. or from the advancement of
commercial and other interests"
He then reverted to the appropria-
ton for miscellaneous expenses, in
Guiding the purchase, care and sub
sistence of horses, repair of wagons,
carriages and harness, rent of stables,
telegraph and electrical apparatus and
repairs to the same and similar
items He said frankly that in the
past this appropriation had not been
used for travel, but he thought it could
be, and desired to know how it would
strike Judge Tracewell.
The judicious comptroller scanned
the sections of law that the secretary
suggested as possible sources of the
Slnews of travel, and quickly saw that
they would never do.
No specific provision has been
found, said the comptroller in reply,
in any of the appropriations for the
state department for the travelling eX-
penses of its officers and employees on
strictly departmental business"
The appropriation for emergencies
terests. he said. were so limited that
they could not be used. But the comp
troller was not so downcast at this
sorrowing discovery as to give up
without hope. He scrutinized the
paragraph about the horses and har-
ness, rent of stables, and the telegraph
apparatus and gave his sanction to use
1t for the secretary's Latin-American
trip.
The aforementioned appropriation
said Judge TracewelI lis denart-
mental appropriation as distinguished
from field appropriation, and seems |
broad enough to include travelling ex-
penses. and is available for travel on
departmental business
Secretary Knox and his party are
therefore travelling on the horse, har-
ness and stable fund.-Washingt
dispatch to the New York Times.