The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1919-08-08
They Used A Lot Of
LuxurieS This Year
Congressman Had To Have Dainty
Fingers, And Weary Hours We're
Whiled Away With Games, Accord
ing To Budgets

story printed in the June issue of the
Searchlight, edited by Lyn Haines at
Washington, in which cases are kept
on congress.
Odd expenditures for members of
the house of representatives., includ-
ing safety razor blades, pocket knives,
powder puffs and manicure sets are
exposed in Haines' story. After an
account of the secret caucus of the
Republican congressman, the story
proceeds as follows:
IF these revelations of secrecy in
high and low places make you dis
couraged and depressed, turn now to
page 172 OF the annual report of the
clerk of the house OF representatives
for 1917. There, in the stationery ac-
count, paid out of the contingent
fund of the house, you will find items
as varied and entertaining as the best
vaudeville.
Il never so over these mute statis-
ties of political finance without the
feeling that many of the entries
should be INTERCEPTED with Oaughter),
as undelivered speeches often are.
Certainly they are funny. AS you
help to pay the bills, you are entitled
to laugh-and then swear.
For example, on page 1S3, these
items appear:
II dozen A~ngelback playing
cards, r. and B., 1t 50. .$24.00
6 dozen Movies Playing cards
at 81 l2.OO
4 dozen Congress playing cards,
at "a 1900
8 dozen Boston playing cards,
at ~ . 500
2 dozen Canary playing cards,
red and blue at so ......... 400
8 dozen No. $50 Premier play
ing cards, at 50 .......... 600
2 dozen pinochle C-15 playing
cards, at S1.20 ........... 2.40
2 dozen Pennant whist playing
cards, at S1.35 ........... go
During that year, in all 744 decks
of playing cards were handled as "sta-
tionery." l never saw any poker be-
ing played in the house chamber
while that body was in session, but
the supply of cards would suggest
that games of some sort might have
been going Oh most Of the time every
where else. Perhaps members may
ing the disposition of pork in appro-
priation bills.
For Dainty Digits
The house had only one lady mem
Der, but during that year, 4S manicure
sets We're handled in the Stationery"
account. And lot of similar station
ery' of the boudoir type figured in
that account. One powder puff, a Pa
risian ivory box, a hair receiver, some
sachets and one dozen assorted busts
are recorded in various places.
Following some lunch kits" on
pdSG lof, lItlt 10 qullt al DullCIlhS VI
toilet tools, as follows:
2 manicure sets, No. 4712-$2.70 $40
2 manicure sets, No. S73, at So. 1900
2 manicure sets, No. 1S74-$5.55 lilo
2 manicure sets, No. 4925-2.SO. $50
2 manicure sets, No. 5725-2.25. 4.50
l manicure set, No. 1877 ....... $50
1 ,,,,;,,> -At NJ nFO1 A on
l manicure set, No. $3.50 ...... 3.55
l manicure set, No. 0853 ...... 6.65
Leather goods played a lively part
in the congressional Stationery" mar
ket. Bags, purses and brief cases to-
tailed 29S for that year. There We're
about 10000 greeting cards, a lot of
birth announcements, ONE valentines
pink program pencils, at home cards
and dinner cards. Pocket knives to-
tailed 270, while the number of foun-
tain pens reached only 1877.
"A certain municipality, somewhere
in Michigan as | recall, nee bought
an Ingersoll watch from the proceeds
of a 20-year bond sale. There may be
nothing analogous in this congress
sional purchase, but zone Ingersoll
Triumph watch is included in the
stationery account for 1T. Somebody,
on page 1SS, had lone watch repair
ed"
Back in the boudoir budget | forgot
to mention zone fan"
Page IFS, where the fan" figures,
shows also:
so dozen Gillette blades .$34,97
Is Thermos bottles (quarts) e. 1880
is Thermos bottles (pints) .... BAGS
5 Vacuum bottles , ........... 1915
and, on page 225, %sandwiched in
between one box midget fasteners
and some ribbons for the typewriter,
is "one-half dozen egg crates"