Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-06-06
Congressional.
ON RETRENCHMENT.
:, MAY 10, 1928.
Read, and committed to the Committee of tie
IPhois House on the state 0fthc Uni0n.

utt eoH1Hp1Ieu 10 RE COlnUsfsee OF use
Pa0is Hoase on the state Of the Union.
CONTINUED
What reductions of expense in the Treasury
Department, and whether an effective system Of
accountability, and for the collection of the public
dues is there established.''
10 introduce economy and despatch in this De-
partment, II will be necessary to simplify the forms
branches
The various Offices Of the Treasury were ar
ranged OH their present plan by act of the 3rd
March, lol7, abolishiDg the Accounting Officers,
ana establishing an additional Comptroller and four
AUDITORS, with clerks. This arrangement was
temporary: so ought to have been its continuance.
The war was just then over, and its disbursement
threw upwards OF forty millions OF suspended
counts into the Treasury for adjustment which a.
mount has since been reduced to two millions; vet
| the same extensive and somewhat complicated
| machinery is still in existence. AS your commit
tee believe that as much depends on the forms of
doing business, as on the number of agents en-
pioyed in any ofthe Departments, they would state
| the tedious process Of auditing and adjusting an
account at the Treasury, under the present system.
When claim IS presented on tine Treasury, it is
handed TO the Auditor who, aided by his clerks
! examines and reports it to the Comptroller; when
decided and passed by him, of the clerks en-
ters 1t in book in his office, and it is then sent
the Register, to be registered by one OF his clerks
The Register transmits certified copy of the re-
port TO the Secretary of the Treasury; one of his
clerks prepares warrant OH the Treasurer for the
amount, which is entered in the Office of the Secre-
tary by the warrant clerk is then handed to the
Comptroller, who countersgns il; il is then sent by
a messenger to the Registers office, where il is
registered by another clerk; when registered, and
thus certified by the Register, it is then presented
| by the claimant to the Treasurer, when another
clerk takes his receipt on the back Of the warrant
and on the saipe warrant, authorizes the bank TO
make payment, and the claimant receives his
money ihis process Is nearly duplicated when
1t commences III either the War or Navy Depart
ment.
Why, for any purpose of public security, an ac-
| coua should make such complicated various, and
reiterated ransits, your committee are at loss to
perceive; the direct effect, however, is increase
the labor, and consequently the number of public
oincers. These extraordinary forms may have been
considered necessary 40 years ago. but in the pre-
sent age, bookkeeping has participated in cotempo-
rary Improvements, and greater simplicity and g.
economy have been introduced in the management
OF both public and private business. If these forms
were slnpliiied, your committee believe that one
fourth, il not third OF the offices in the Trea-
sury, might be reduced But even with the en-
sting tedious forms OF transacting business they
tilink there are more clerks than would be requir.
ed, il the labor of the offices was more equally dis
tributed. The First Comproller's Office is evident
Iy surcbarged with business. while il is equally
certain that some OF the other Offices connected
with the Treasury almost sinecures A por-
ton oil the business OF the First Comptroller nigh,
| ''Ch NC asSiS5ticu W tnc ana Register
Offices, where the clerks cannot be fully EN-
! ployed.
Besides simplifying the forms of business, and
distributing the duties OF the Offices more equally
your committee would recommend new organi-
cation OF some OF the Departing nts: to effect which
they would suggest that the Second Comptroller
Office be abolished, and that of one Of the Audi
tors as they think one Auditor for each Executive
Department amply sufficient, and SO soon as the
FIRST comptroller is relieved, under dis!ribu-
nF Tho. t,,t,a. I.x,
viii be able TO suPerintend those now performed
by the Second Comp roller.
They are oil opinion that, in system, the va
iue oil an officer who ought be so highly accom-.
plished Tor public business as the Attorney Gene
raj, Is not sufficiently estimated and that he ought
to be considered the Law Officer of the Govern
inent: They propose enlarging his duties, and in
creasing his responsibilities, by putting under nj.
charge all the suits in which the Government NAV
be interested throughout the United States by at
taching to his office, and by placing under his i'm
mediate control, District Attorneys and Marsha,s
hat, IN addition TO these duties, ne should preside
at Board, to consist of himself, the Comptroller
4 and four other AUDITORS for the examination and
auditing OF all contested claims and accounts a.
gaInst the United States-to be, if necessary i'm
daily session The advantages Of this plan would
not only consist in uniform Interpretation of the
acts oil Congress respecting claims, but such an in
depreciation would be enlightened by the opinion:
OF an officer of first rate legal attainmenis; and .
claims, would obtain, by those means, through all
the departments which, at present. is various, de-
pending too much on the discretion Of the dffe.
/ rent Auditors.
The discharge Of these duties, together with those
which were contemplated in the effort which wa:
made IN 1917 TO create office 10 have been de.
nominated the Solicitor Of the Treasury" viii
produce the necessity Of the Attorney General be-
ing prohibited from practising, excepting in the
Supreme Court; to indemnify him for which, and
as an offset to saving which will accrue to the
government by his taking charge of the suits Of the
u states, and acting on Board for the adjustment;
OF Claims, your committee think his salary ought
to he ona footing with that Of the heads of tine De.
paFtments We satisfied that, by his legal skill
IN directing the mode by which the suits of the
i United States TO be conducted, and his vigil
lance and intelligence in adjusting claims agains;
the u states, he would save one hundred fold the
amount oil his increased compensation.
As IT respects the contingent expenses Of the
I Treasury Department, the Secretary has advised
US That he * not aware Chat they can DC reduced
In this opinion your committee must withhold theii
> concurrence. They think there has been most
extraordinary expenditure for newspapers, in most
If not all the Offices In those connected with the
Treasury, there was paid for this object, in 1925
$75l so, in 1926, S06i 10; in 1927, Sl00l IL; a
steadily progressive and inexpicably strange in
crease.
I, The expense for advertising has also, been much
augmented. This expenditure, for this Depart
nent, generally, aud the Land Once was, in ISIS
SS,5O7 ~; IN 1926, S2l6I 70; in 1927, $6,5O3 81
There were, perhaps, reasons why the expenditure
should have been greater in the last than in the
two preceding years; but tie committee cannot
understand why the advertising in 1927 should ex-
coed, by nearly thousand dollars, the whole ez-
Pensc for advertising in 1875 and 1926
Inc aggregate contingent expenses Of the Trea-
sury Department excluding the Land Office, du-
al e.l0 /. 4