The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1915-05-27
Washington Letter


democratic methods in running the
business Of the government.
An order OF the treasury department,
just issued, compels more than 1000
employees, Custodian's Corps, to take
an enforced iurlough Of eight days
without pay between now and the first
Of July, because there is no money to
pay them.
This order will affect 4,575 persons;
and by far the larger part Of them are
women, who earn their living by mop
ping floors and cleaning rooms in the
federal buildings in 800 cities scattered
all over the country. These women
earn about $50 month, and the loss
Of eight days pay will be grieyous
hardship to them. Some men also are
affected by this involuntary vacation,
the highest paid Of them being the
chief OF the custodian department at
New York, who receives salary ol
$4,000 year.
The order bears the signature ol
Assistant Secretary Byron Newton, who
says, by way Of explanation, that con-
gress is to blame. He asked the
democrats at the capitol to give him
$4,000, 900 ior this work and they gave
him only 81, ,650,000
1t is suggested here that the dem
ocrats have never regarded cleanliness
as next to godliness and that their
failure to appropriate money for scrub
bing floors is in line with ancient party
tradition. But it is equally significant
that the treasury department, regardless
OF congressional action, seems to have
plenty OF money to hiie expensive
lawyers to defend John Shelton Williams
against the lawsuit instituted by the
Riggs bank. Messrs. Brandeis and
Untermeyer are reported TO be getting
$4,000 fees Tor their services in this
case. The motto OF the treasury de-
partment evidently is: Thousands fol
defense but not a cent for decency.
Another deserving democrat" has
been provided with a job.
Bryan's son'in'law, Richard Har'
greaves, has pulled down a clerkshir
the treasury department. 1t pays him
$1,000 year, and it was given to him
by John Shelton Williams, who has as
signed the young man to that appro
propriate bureau on insolvent banks
1t is naively stated that Hargreaves il
to learn the banking business and tber
embark in it on his own account.
This notion Of paying tyro a gooc
salary to learn trade is something
new; but it ought TO become popula
in some circles. Indeed, it is alread,
popular in Mr.. Bryan's department
where the number Of deserving dem
ocrats" who are learning diplomacy a
Government expense is steadily in
creasing.
Mr.. Williams is planning -uncon
sciously, perhaps-to keep Mr.. Har
greaves' Office busy; because, at tn,
present rate Of multiplication Of comp
troller's regulations, the time is a
hand when no national Oank will hav,
time for anything except the makinl
Of the various reports which are re
quired by the versatile Mr.. Williams.
The new method OF making report
Of the condition OF national banks ha
sorely tried the patience and the talen
OF many bankers. The statements a
now required to be made and publishe,
ne-as newspaper readers have nc
ticed-much more voluminous tha
they used TO be; and the minutiae G
detail which they contain is very con
fusing and exceedingly difficult to f
out correctly. One case has just com
to notice where a New England ban
tried five times before it got the state
ment in proper form TO suit Mr.. Wi
liams and the only person proftin
by the incident was the local newspapt
proprietor, who got pay for five publ
cations OF the statement.
Now that the bankers are beginnin
10 understand what Mr.. Williams wan
and have acquired facility in filing Of
his blanks, he has descended upc