Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-05-18
The Country Home
BY MRS. w. I'll. FELTON,
WHAT IT COSTS TO LODGE
PRESIDENT AT HOME

gave you some items in a late
issue of the Tri-Weekly Journal to
show what the United States gov
eminent paid out in Paris to house
| the president of the United States
"over there" 1t was astounding to
comprehend how much good tax
money was wasted in that one in
stance. 1t was pure extravaganza
and should have been returned by
! congress.
But l am coming to you this time
to tell you how the money is wasted
ton that somebody should criticize,
| if we cannot stop the drain on the
strong box of the nation.
The White House is a good sized
one, but there is no reason in the
world why it should be allowed the
enormous sum of $4,000 each twelve
months to light up the building.
| Over $4,000 per month for electric
lights or gas lights, is evidence COM
| plete to show the wastefulness that
is allowed.
An engineer is constantly in serv-
| ice at the rate of $500 per month,
! $4,000 per year. 1t costs $4,000 each
year to maintain repairs. In every
four years one might build as good
looking house from cellar to garnet
Tor what is spent on repairs social
ed. The fuel bill is $4,000 to warm the
building and steam heat the green
houses. Every year they call for
! they only use the greenhouses to
supply flowers to the White House
! you will agree with me that these
flowers come high.
1t requires $4,000 annually to re-
pair greenhouses. They call for S4,-
600 right now TO construct another
greenhouse. This is not all, they
want $500 to warm the offices that
are occupied by the greenhouse la
borers with watchmen, etc.
Let US count up little on this
greenhouse proposition. Nine thou
sand dollars to repair those already
built, $4,000 to repair again, may be
inside, $4,000 to build another green
house, $1,000 to warm up the offices
tor Workmen, a total of $4,000 ev-
cry year to build, repair, equip and
heat sufficient greenhouses to dec
crate White House parlors.
When L remember those meat
less" ''Wheatless,'' "heatless" and
'1ightless" days that were forced
upon the people of this nation and
am now told in plain words that it
cost the taxpayers more than $4,000
year to furnish flowers to the
!. White House while we were starving,
freezing and sitting in the dark or
going to bed before shutdown to save
money to feed the Belgians, l feel
IKE Kicking at somebody, and then
rebuking myself for being such
blamed idiot as to pay any attention
to such orders.
The president gets $4,000 a year
and everything furnished, but here
comes a bill for $4,000 for some late
travelling expenses, showed in with
repairs on greenhouses. Here is
an itemized claim for $141,500 to
keep the White House repaired for
one year, and heat to warm and flow
erS to decorate!
One brave Texas Democrat "got
upon his uppers," to use an old say
ing, and thus discoursed:
Mr.. Chairman: Is it necessary, to
spend $4,000 every year to build a
new greenhouse? Is it absolutely
necessary to spend $4,000 or $45, 600
every year to maintain this White
House building alone? I say it is
ridiculous. None of this $4,000 goes
TO pay the horde of servants, guards
and watchmen. They are all paid out
of other appropriations. No private
citizen, no matter how rich he is, has
to so over his house every year in
this way. Eight thousand dollars for
fuel alone is ridiculous in each year.
Nine thousand dollars for care of
greenhouses in one year and each
year is ridiculous Eight thousand.
six hundred dollars each year for
lighting that mansion is ridiculous.
We ought to wake up and stop some
of this extravaganza. We cannot
charge it up to anybody except con-
gress, and We and all of US are
guilty if we do not stop it."
Another member rose up to say:
"NoW, what about that item of S25,-
900 per year for the presidents traV-
cling expenses, which can only be
expended on his own certificate?"
ooh" replied Mr.. Blanton, of Tex
if emf ont OF the
bill There is too much actual
money called for travelling eX-
penses. We pay the president
S75, 900 a year, and we make every
kind of a liberal allowance for the
necessities Of the White House.
want to say that $4,000 is entirely
too much money to keep up the re-
pairs and care of that White House"
SO it goes, dear readers Of The Fri
Weekly Journal! Saving at the
spigot, losing at the bung.
I am Informed, also. upon what
Of the persons employed IN those
wartime departments, that there are
still thousands Of men and women
kept there in peace-times, with little
or nothing to do, in each other way.
vet they are drawing anywhere from
800 per month and upward, and no
one can tell when these people are
to be discharged and permitted to go
at something that will support them
by their own labor. What l nave nave
here written has been copied from
the Congressional Record, the Official
document that publishes the speeches
and votes of congress members,
There is an old provegb. said to
be one of BENJAMIN Franklins mot
toes. ga wilful waste Will make
woeful want" 1t is the tax money
Of the people that is thus flung wild.
and it is the biggest sort of graft