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Show T UTAH'S EXPENSIVE COMMISSION. Tlie New York "World's" Corres-dent Corres-dent Brings Forth Some Interesting Inter-esting Facts. The following Washington special to the New York World ha3 not come over the wires along with other dispatches, and as it refers to the Utah Commission it will have a local interest. It is pleasant pleas-ant reading and shows the inner working of a great S useless institution : Washington, January 10. The Commissioners Commis-sioners appointed in 1882 under the Edmunds Ed-munds Utah bill are in hot water. They have evidently had a very pleasant time at the expense of the pubfic without accomplishing accom-plishing much in return. The Commissioners Commis-sioners who were appointed by President Arthur are :, . Ex-Gov. Ramsey, ex-Senator Paddock, ex-Assistant U. S. District Attorney At-torney Godfrey, of Iowa; A. B. Carlton, of Indiana; and "Mr. Pettigrew, of Arkansas. These gentlemen knew scarcely anything about Utah or the Mormons. Their duties were simply to have charge of the appointment appoint-ment of registration and election officers, the canvas of the votes for members of the Territorial Legislature, and the preventing Mormons from voting or holding office. Their salaries were fixed at $5,030 each per annum, and they were allowed $15,000 "for expenses of the "commission, for printing, stationery, clerk hire and rent," while $25,C0O was appropriated for election expenses. ex-penses. The Commissioners have taken advantago of the comma after the word "Commission" in the law allowing them $15,000 a year for expenses, and have interpreted the act so as to allow them to charge for personal expenses. ex-penses. Messrs. Ramsey, Paddock, Godfrey, Carlton and Pettigrew went to Salt Lake City shortly after their appointment. They were all non-residents. They allowed themselves them-selves to listen to the advice -of those who had prejudices one way or the other, and' it is alleged that their entire actions as Commissioners Com-missioners so far have had no beneficent effect." Only a few polygamists have been convicted, and about three thousand polygamists polyga-mists have been refused suffrage. . The Commissioners Com-missioners have had $65,000 a year for salaries sal-aries and expenses. They organized a sort of government of their own, hired relatives for clerks, and drew on the expense account for their personal outlay. Scarcely one of the Commissioners has remained re-mained more than two months continuously in Utah. They make frequent visits to Washington, and render an account of the cost of the trips to the Treasury Department. Depart-ment. They do not go together, but travel in pairs or singly. They charge for sleeping berths, railroad fare and meals, and draw regularly their $5,000 a year. Sometimes I they go on short excursions and foraging expeditions. There is one voucher on file in the Auditor's office from Commissioner Godfrey as follows: "August 29, 1885; expenses ex-penses from Salt Lake City to Des Moines, la., and return from the meeting of the Utah Commission sleeping-car fare: $8.75: rail road fare, $4.25; meals en route, $5.25; bus fare, $1."- In September, last year, Commissioner Paddock took a flying trip to Omaha. Here is his account: "Sleeping car, Ogden to Omaha, $8: seven meals,-$13.50: omnibus at Salt Lake City, 25 cents; total, $21.75." Mr. Paddock's board at Salt Lake City from July 12 to September 7, 1885, cost the Government Gov-ernment $145.60. These are a few samples of the personal expense bills rendered by the Commissioners. The most impudent one, however, was a bill of $54.38 for laundrv expenses ex-penses for 1883. The Treasury Department drew a Hne here and threw this item out. The Treasury Department, under the j present management, protested against paying pay-ing the personal expense "bills of -the Commissioners, Com-missioners, but was compelled, under the strict construction of the law, to pay their feeding and traveling expenses, although such expenses were never contemplated in the original law. It is said the duties of the Commissioners can be better performed, and for a great deal less money, by a change. The clause in the Edmunds act continuing this Commission indefinitely will be sharply attacked in the House. |