Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1914-12-23
COMPTROLLER IS
ONE MAN Court
Uncle Sans Cash Account
ant is Supreme in His
Office (
MANY QUESTIONS
INVOLVE MILLIONS
BY BURTON X. STANpISH.

WAShlNGlON, Dec. 2o-UnClc |
Sans one man court is George e. |
Downey. comptroller of the United
States treasury. Everyday he passes
on puzzling questions. which may in
volve any amount from two bits" 10
millions. Ia his own sphere, he is
supreme. Every government depart
ment that has tangled skeins of red
tape. questions OF procedure, trouble
some expense accounts--in fact, al
most and kind of question under the
sun simply says "let George do it,
| And he does.
If Bill Smith. who travels for The
/ Department Of Agriculture, passes a
! tip to a barber and charges il on
his expense account, Downey may
have to decide IL that Is allowable
OF course. Bill Is allowed a GER
| tain amount for tips. but the onc
man court must decide whether the
barber's fec was permissible under
J what Uncle Sam allows for gratui-
ties.
Only few days ago. the ono man
court had two cases Involving Chi
nese. One was customs matter
involving thousands Of dollars. Tho
other was bill against tho govern
ment for 10 cents in a Chinese
laundry.
And the court took as much pains
and did just as much labor to solve
the rs cent case of tho laundryman
as he did with that OF the big Chi
nese merchant.
Downey gets some strange ones in
the course of days work. but he
has the Fays backed off the map
when II comes TO answering qucs-
tions. And the best part Of II all Is
that what he says, goes. II he rules
that government department can't
spend its money in a certain fashion,
they simply can't do IL.
For instance. travelling man work
ing for tho government is supposed
10 take the shortest direct route with
out stopovers. This line may be
a slow steamboat passage. The travel
ing man may decide that it will be
Just as cheap to 20 by rail. and a
whole lot more expeditions. Right
there Is where the one man court
comes in. He looks over the pre-
cedents. and the laws. and decides
nothing doing Il must be the steam
boat route. And thereafter, Mr.
Travelling man takes the old chug
chug affair instead of the comfortable
Pullman.
In the course OF year, Downey
undoubtedly saves the government
many hundred times what he gets in
return for his service. Nobody ever
figured out just what the saving was,
but practically every decision he
gives has the effect OF economizing
for the boss, Uncle Sam.
Rum Row." just couple Of blocks
[ away from the White House, Is sad
and shocked these days. One OF its
{ landmarks. Shoomaker's the birth
place of the gin rickey, Is moving out
! OF it's dusty, dingy quarters into a
new location on tho Roy. Many Of
IT'S relics arc going, too, but the Row
can't quite get used 10 the idea. The
new place won't harbor the same old
cobwebs; il can't accommodate all OF
tho ancient Autographs. the souvenirs
Of the old time politicians, and the
momentoes from tho old gang that
? used 10 frequent tho place back in
Civil War days.
"Shoos" is perhaps the most fam
GUS dispensary of alcoholic refresh
ments in the country. Visitors from
all over make il mecca. They want
to look at the quaintest queerest bar
, room they ever saw. It's huge piles
of box goods in the front end, stored
p in a musty room, hide farm view the
bar. The bar is cobweS0y, fiy-speck-
ed; everything smacks of age. There
are no mirrors; no fancy cut glass
The wall back Of the bar is literally
overrun with souvenirs. 1t doesn't
look very inviting. but its clientele is
the best in the city.
The tired business man, the Con-
gressman with a thirst after his days
labor. the clubman, all find here a
common meeting place and seem tC
gather from the dingy, dusty. musty
surroundings an inspiration. And the
place is moving now. So no wonder
the Row is sad and shocked.
Then, too, the Row lost another OF
it's gathering places when the new
excise law limited the number OF
thirsteries that could occupy one city
block. But the thirsty contingent
isn't going dry, for the door Of the
corner bar facing on the Row was
closed, an application was filed for q
j location around the corner and the
place reopened with door on the