The Age Herald

Useless Expenditures.

From the Washington Post.

The expenditures under the contingent fund of the senate, which have just been made known in a report of the secretary of the senate, contain some interesting items. For instance, it is shown that Mr. Benjamin Durfee, who used to be the clerk of the finance committee, made numerous trips to New York on various matters, notably in connection with the committee which is investigating the use of alcohol in the arts, and he rendered an account of $17 for every time he traveled to New York and return. Mr. Eugene Davis, who went over to New York for another committee, contented himself with buying a $10 round-trip ticket. Mr. Henry Dally, Jr., a New York perfumer, seems to have had two very delightful trips to Europe for the alcohol committee, visiting Liverpool, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Cologne, Berlin, Geneva, and other charming cities, at government expense. Mr. Charles G. Phelps accompanied on one trip and together they spent over $2,000. On Mr. Dally's other excursion he spent over $1,000. Mr. S. N. D. North drew $5 a day as "statistician" for the senate finance committee and all his expenses while traveling, while James J. Voorhees got $500 for a bust of Vice-President Breckinridge. Mr. Durfee also got from $200 to $210 a month for "compiling a history of revenue and general appropriation bills," while it cost $218 to feed with meals and lunches the "senators and attendants while going to and returning from the Grant memorial exercises in New York." The other expenses of this excursion to New York amounted to $752. It cost a little over $500 to bury the late Senator Earle, of South Carolina.