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About The independent. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 1905)
DECEMBER 21, 1905 PAGE 9 V6a Nobraohcx Iridopondcit MILLIONS ARE WASTED INCIDENTAL EXPENSES OF CON GRESS ARE ENORMOUS Yet a Congressional Committee Will Investigate Executive Departments to Find Out How Government Spends so Much Money Congress is starting in to pass a fine-tooth comb through the execu tive departments, for the purpose, of discovering and identifying any small parasites of graft which may be prey ing unsuspected upon the body politic. It if an expedient pregnant with- pos sibilities, and has the special advan tage of distracting attention from the real and important offenders, who are the senators and representatives them selves. For it is not going too far to say that the extravagance and stupidity of the legislators who sit under the dome of the dome of the capitol at Washington cost the peo ple every year not less than fifty millions of dollars. This, indeed, is probably an imder-estimate. Millions of Books Rotting In the basement , of the capitol mil lions of books are literally rotting away many of them really valuable documents, but unobtainable by any body who wants them. Among them are hundreds of thousands of copies of the year book of the department of agriculture, which the department itself would be- exceedingly glad to get, its own supply being insufficient to meet the demand. v The . year book is the most widely I) mi 0 o SEARLES & SEARLES SPECIALISTS IN Nervous, Chronic and Private Diseases of MEN & WOMEN Treatment by Mail Blood Poison, Kidney and blad der Troubles, All Unnatural Weak nesses. Stricture VARICOCELE & All DISEASES. Disorders of Men Yountr, middle-aged and old Men. - Examination and consultation free. Write to-day. P. O. Box 324. Office over Miller & Paine 's store. 13th & O Streets. Lincoln, Nel X WATCH REPAIRING And Engraving If your watch need repairing care fully pack it in cotton and send ly mail. I will examine it free of charge and let you know what repairs are need"d ami what t tny will cost. You can then av whether I shall proceed nrwl repair it for you. It the expense should be more than you desire to psv tt e watch will be returned without .'hartre. ALL WORK GUARANTEED Jewelry Engraving of All Kindt Write for Price. BROCK, the Jeweler 1140 O St. Lincoln, Nbr. To Independent Headers: Mr. Stephen Hmok U known t t publisher of Hie lnd:"iTdeist. II i MMiiicn wtc tuakrt and rtiirrr, Vc.- oi Jewell t ?l to him w it be atrlv r"Urerd bim! the woifcinuoshlti mill be fundthe 1MB Nktltll'MA IXMi.l'KPliKN'r sought publication issued by the gov ernment. Half a million copies of it are published annually, and of these the department gets only 6 per cent; the rest go to congress, for indis criminate and more or less unintel-. ligent distribution. They are de posited in the folding rooms of the house and senate, and many of the members never call for them, so that eventually they are relegated, in the original sacks, to permanent storage. Before leaving the subject of pub lications it might be well to refer to the printed eulogies of senators and representatives who , die while in of fice. Custom demands that their virtues shall be embalmed in book form, and the speeches delivered in their praise on the legislative floor are reproduced, in each instance,, in a volume which costs from $2,500 up. From ten to twenty-five thousand copies of this volume are distributed, fifty going to the family of the defunct statesman, and nearly all of the rest finding their way sooner or later to the junk shops. Each such book must have a portrait, which costs in variably $34. . Bound eulogies have run up as high as $10,812. and the bill for them, which is, paid bf the people, averages about $50,000 a year. ' Army of Employes The capitol is a large building, and it maintenance might reasonably be expected to cost a good deal of money; but, as a matter of fact, the extraya gance of its management is on a scale nothing short of colossal. There are more than twelve hundred employes, of whom four hundred and fifty-one are on the pay roll of the senate alone not counting seventy-two police men,.who look out for the safety of the structure and its contents for the relatively ' moderate stipend of $37,500 a year.' One is naturally puz zled to imagine, why ninety gentle men, incidentally to the performance of, legislative business, should require four hundred and fifty-one persons to assist and wait, upon them. The, secret of it is, of course, that the people pay the wages. . The house of representatives, which has three hundred and eighty-six mem bers, employs seven hundred and forty-three people, including a small army of private secretaries, each member being entitled to such an as sistant,' paid by the public at $100 a month. Lemonade and Perfumes Representatives in congress are compelled to feel a direct responsibil ity to the constituents, and this serves to some extent as a restraint on ex travagance. With the senate, how ever, it is otherwise, and attacks made upon the notorious abuses of the so called contingent fund, for example, have . been wholly devoid of effect. This fund is made to cover a multi tude of utterly improper items such as, just for one instance, Appolinaris lemonade, which in warm weather, when a session extends into the sum mer, is - supplied -in unlimited quan tities and free of charge in the cloak rooms of the upper house. A recent report to the secretary of the senate shows an expenditure of about $t.00 for this purpose, representing the cost t of forty cases of Appolinaris, thirty five boxes of lemons, and one thou sand two hundred pounds of sugar. The senate consumes in every twelvemonth about thirty-four gallons of the finest cologne, most of which Is purchased In bulk, allowing a quart and a pint for each member of the upper house. One ought surely to beJ able to distinguish a senator any where by hla agreeable odor. Soma of this cologne is uaeU In the senate bathroom, which are on a ncale of magnificence that would not have been tlfsplsfd by the hlgh!ivtr of undent Hone. The tub are carved out of Btnjrlo bJocka of marblu ten fret lonir, mi that the legislator can lie RulniK-rKiM at length In them. At tendant kUUd in manage are It waiting, and them are hot room, m Western LadyM Shoes embody the latest and most approved styles for women. They are so per fectly designed that they fit every curve of the foot gracefully and with ease and comfort Nothing better made no matter what you pay. Ask your dealer for Mayer 1 M ill kwl FJI I ftV 1 I I 1 P. . Ill - T X Shoes next time you need shoes and get the best wearing, dressiest and most comfortable shoes you ever wore. Anv reliable shoe dealer will supply you. If 'not, write to us. Look for the Mayer trade-mark on the sole. We also make the "Martha Washington" Comfort shoes. F. Maver Boot A Shoe Co.. -- - ... . -n J.- . HIT. W Farmsrs, a Little Harness Talk May Profit Buckstaff Harness have Qual ity and You can depend upon it. We use the Fashion e d Tanned Californh Leather the very best obtainable such as give you long faithful service. The cu ting, stitching, making are faultless. We make all Grades and Styles. There is a local dealer in every community who can show them to you. Remember, they are all stamped with the let ters "B. B." on the ends of the traces. ' We do not retail. If this harness interests you, show it to your dealer. We will be glad to hear from you. Buckstaff Bros. Mfg. Co. 'RISES' Lincoln, Neb. Y0B Ab0Ut t0 Oak 1 t R hf J LJ Prs8t imiurjxlt, i Stcci Roofing, 01 -BO Per 100 8q. Fcci I'dnled rri both llrfei) molt dorb;. .uit etonomi( .1 rnt.rlnt lor raoflnf , (iiliuf tit tellin, tot fcrn. tb.di, hum., iiotr., rburdiri. rrlb., pooilrf bjiM, ti.r to lr aoit cbcaprr tb any othirr mrrl!s nn .tprri.nr. nrrntarv 19 lay ic Hammer or i!rnsi ir. cnir tooit Ta ntta. &tini pnre lIP rjMV TUC CDCIPUT t4 ' Pti C'e!oca.l, .ir.biia Okabvma, Iriaa ad U.an IIC rnl I fir rtlElluni IVrrllnrf. At U.ia trlra k. furaltii or o. 15 trnl-bardrntd flat 41 ruuiiut. ii ii.tu.i ity 4 iucli, lk 1 ,(mJ ilii. ! '.il .1.1 .J .. ill trarion. or ta "V rrlmp-l. er ittndinf -am. At 5 eanli per iqaara arffaoct crr oe prirt will lurnUfc Ii i malaria! In O an.1 M ieel lon 9- '.O lr r.r ai...f or b.atftu ranin ar aiiiit. rn.i ui roar erdrr tor ImmvJlat. atilimnt. Tim Hl ara?a ft. .mlorint aii'. liiil,uo.nllnl mt the b'.t of all rnrciiofa. A lr fsnnrr partkmara. WHItt POH Mil CfcTAlOCUC HO. A. M. 4tt or bul'tiinf matarial, wira, plpa. plamhtng material, fiirnltura, bihnli fooda. rinlblng, al. Wa but at HBhHltnn' A Till RKvf.i vEUS it A I. EM, JUU tW.tKJU left ol lumbar rraw tha Wofhl a rr. CHICAGO HOUSE WRECKING CO., 38th mnd Iron St:, CHICAGO, ILL. in tell at ttoniA, rnn7SM53. wise nnntran? and GATTLE.UdUlU) l 1 1 l ond 11,1 othar Ktr I I 1 1 l MttMf.f iotrah. - 'JU -ir yt.ti to tti K 4 Fi I end CATTLE u u kinds of RAW FUH3 lUti SO, more itirtu'T Mt mnd lttJt i ta tt V' ir VtlC fur itk Lit, larkrt Rrtt, cn! nWat i:u:iTEnsf g mcpPEns' guide m lt tblntr on th tJb.c rrt wrtttm. lUwalfuljnf Kwr AniittaN. l'ayrt. cii'ta bn1. All t liat.ptnr ANOIRSCH UftOS., Ccpt. 63 list rnr ABiwati. v ktnvU ci Trv. Vtvrt Tri KllnneipoUe. Mtnrk flivii Mention THE INDEPENDENT Whtn Writing to Advtrtlitrt,