Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-28
OFFICIALS ARE AFFECTED
Provision Will Be Included in Next
Appropriation Bill.
COMMITTEE LOCATES MANY
Already 1O7 Have Been Reported,
and Promises Are in Hand That
More Will Be Made Known.

government departments from maintaining
telephones in their homes at government
expense will be included in the legisla-
tive, executive and judicial appropriation
bill soon to be reported to the House
from the appropriations committee, of
which Mr.. Fitzgerald of New York is
chairman.
AS the result of letters sent by Chair
man Fitzgerald to the heads of the sew
eral executive departments and to the
chairman of the various boards, commits
sions and other government institutions
in the National Capital, the committee
has learned thaA more than 1O7 telephones
are installed in the private residences of
public servants and paid for out of the
federal treasury.
Just how many more there are the
committee doesn't know. yet. Secretary
Nagel of the Department of Commerce
and Labor wrote to Mr.. Fitzgerald that
he knew of nine telephones in residences
of officials of his department which were
paid for by the government, and that
there were more, q list Of which he would
send later.
priations committee seem to feel that
this telephone proposition, as revealed to
the committee, is q species of petty
graft" as one of them put 1t, for which
there is no legitimate excuse. They be-
lieve, after looking carefully into the
maintained in private residences at gov
ernment expense are not essential to the
transaction OF government business, but
that. on the contrary, their use Isl large
ly personal Also they contend that an
official Of the government would main
taip q telephone In his homo for his per-
sonal use and at his own expense under
ordinary circumstances: Consequently
after the legislative lill goes through
the government will cease to pay the
bill.
Some Of Replies Amusing.
Some Of the replies received by Chair
man Fitzgerald to his letter Of inquiry
are considered by the committee aa anus
ing as well as instructive. For instance.
Secretary Walcott Of the Smithsonian
institution explains the need for q pri-
vate telephone at goveznment expense in
the residence Of the superintendent Of
the Zoo on the ground that wild animals
frequently arrive in the city after Office
hours and that there has to be some quick
te3eph0ning to make earrangoaneglts for
their care ana delivery. Chairman
Emery Of the tariff board declares that
the telephones maintained In the homes
Of the members and secretary OF the
board are necessary because 'much Of
the work Of the tariff board is done at
night" and 1t Is important that the men,
Of each other. and in order to receive re-
ports from field agents and direct their
movements at any hour"
The White House reported eight tele-
phones In the residences of employees and
paid for by the government: the tariff
the Treasury Department, sixteen; the
Department Of Justice, four; the United
States Supreme Court, three: the Court Of
Claims. four: the Post Office Department
Interior Department, eight: the Depart
ment Of Agriculture, five; the Department
OF Commerce and Labor, nine (and q few
more not reported); the Smithsonian In
stitution. three; the interstate commerce
commission, four, and the War Depart
ment, nine.
Associate Justice Lurton is the only
member Of the United States Supreme
Court who has a private telephone paid
for by the government.
Of the watch, II. A. Cobaugh. has tele-
phone in his home for which the govern
ment pays.
.That really puzzles me-" Chairman
Fitzgerald commented on this captain-of-
the-watch phone. Il suppose the captain
of the watch sits at home in slippered
ease and when burglars break into the
vaults Of the Treasury they call him up
and tip him OF to the fact"
Explains Justice Lurton's Phone.
Mr. Fitzgerald's letter from the clerk of
the Supreme Court in response to the
committees communication declares there
is no significance in the fact that Justice
Lurton is the only member Of the court
to be provided with telephone.
Some Of the justices have had tele-
phones for many years. he says, land
perhaps have never thought OF having
an office one put in"
The judges Of the Court of Claims in
formed Mr.. Fitzgerald that their phones
were necessary because they were mot
provided with private secretaries
Secretary Of the Navy Meyer appears
to be the only government official with
two telephones in his residence, both Of
which are paid for by the government.
The Cleveland economy commission, the
Library Of Congress. the government
printing office the civil service commits
sion and the isthmian canal commission
reported to the appropriations committee
that no employe In those branches had a
telephone for which the government paid.
After reading all the explanations sent
in as to the reason for the maintenance
of these lO7 phones at government ex-
pense members of the appropriations
committee remarked. smilingly. that they
had no idea such a vast amount of public
business was transacted during the night.
1t would seem, from some OF the letters,
that government officials are In the habit
Of being awakened at almost any hour
to take care of the affairs Of their re-
spectiye departments
ACCUSED SHOOTS THREE.