The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1912-02-12
N'VE|CH MAY Be
SUBJECT OF AN .
INVESTIGATION
Secretary Of Treasury Makes Many
Expenditures That are
Thought Unnecessary

w dSuluStoI, IL. ~, ECU. - llie
is day of investigations. The All
of the Capital is full of them, Con-
gressmen of all faiths and parties
are discussing them and verify, no
mans affairs are free from the pene-
trating rays of the limelight. The
order of Investigations has called
for inquiries into the methods of the
Steel Trust, the Money Trust, the
Shoe Machinery and Shipping Trusts,
and now at least one OF the Federal
departments seems to be in line for n
"raking over the Goals"
n When Franklin MacVeagh became
Secretary of the treasury he an
nounced policy of retrenchment. II
was hailed as a good sign, for no man
likes economy more than the tax
payer who pays the Federal bills.
But lately doubts as to Mr. Mac
Veagh's good intentions have sprung
up. Charges have been made to tAe
House Committee on Expenditures
in the Treasury Department, Of
which Representative Cox of indiana,
is chairman, that Mr.. MacVeagh's
administration has been neither alto
gether wise nor efficient. H6I
MacVeagh Inconsistent.
These specific complaints have
been made to the committee; that
Secretary MacVeagh's announced
policy of economy has been incon-
sistent with his extravaganza in
embellishing the Treasury Building,
that he has lent his official aid In
settling some of Assistant Secretary
r. o. Bailey's private grievances
that he has eountenanced the dis
charge of some of the department.
most efficient workers and that there
has been more or less irregularity in
the award of certain contracts fol
equipment to public buildings
The Secretary originally asked
Congress for 100000 to make
necessary alterations to the Treasury
Building. When the job was com
pleted about $26S,000 had beer
spent. The improvements consisted
of remodeling the exterior Of tlt
I,,;IJ;,r tba onno4runtior ~ .
private driveway fronting the White
House side and costly interior
changes consisting of the installation
Of a private elevator, hardwood
floors and the introduction of ex
pensive mahogany furniture an,
Turkish rugs. II the interior
changes were not eXtravagances
they at least marked complete de
parture from the simplicity Of hi
predecessors
| Draughtsmen Are Dismissed.
These improvements were followe,
by the dismissal of 81 Of the-most eff
ficient draughtmen from the office o
the Supervising Architect. 1t wa
done at the advice OF Assistant Sec
rotary Bailey and ever the strcuu
Gus protest of Supervising Architec
Taylor, who declared 1t would und
his work of years to build up tn
standard of his office.
1t subsequently developed, as tn
Congressional Committee has learn
ed, that Bailey and Taylor had dis
agreed over certain awards fc
equipment to several public built
ines. II is charged that Bailey ha
arbitrarily thrown out the propose
of one bidding firm on the groun
that the bid did not co'form to spec
fications after he, Bailey, had r,
drafted them over Taylors protes
This bid, II developed. was the lowe
of five. Underlying Bailey's actlo
: it is asserted, was Bailey's person
: dislike. for the bidding firm. III
, breach between pailey and Tayl
, became wider when Secretary Ma
veagh overruled Taylor's protest.
4 Both Secretary Macyeagh and h
osslatap. Will probably be call