The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-12-08

orders to be issued, he does after full CONSUL
tation with those OF his subordinates who are
most familiar with the subject matter in All its
connections His own lack of acquaintance
with details Is thus corrected, aud safe and
prudent conclusion is probably reached. Any
changes made In their subsequent revision by
the Secretary are likely TO be productive OF In.
jury rather Than advantage, for 1t Is pratlc ally
i'm POSSIBLE for those here em mployed To co nfer
freely with the Secretary as they do with the
Com no iss eT; and In sucn revisiOns the benefit
of their ex perience is in a large measure lost.
Under the present relations OF the two offices,
80 many questions pnss from one TO the otner
that the eecreia is constantly compelled To
adopt the opinions of his own Immediate sun
OTdinates, instead of forming q personal judg
ment of his own, aud thus the carefully reached
conclusions of the Dom missioner NAV be over
ruled by clerks withoutlegal and public respon
Blbiliiy.
for the joint action of the two officers, when Is
ofie all enued with considerable delay; even
when promp is an Indispensable element
OF success. IL would locate responsibility which
is now divided, and clOi he tine Commkbioner
with more than aseeminyauthority.
Tie bentf of the proposed change would
arise especially. however, from It's rendering
more direct and single the responsibility of the
local officers One applies to tue sec eGary for
ipsIIucIions while another, calico TO act per-
hal In the same case, tax es direction from the
Com missioner. Those inclined to dIsreg ard MS
directions find a plausible pretext iu some
assumed difference OF opinion between him
and Ibe Secretary. Those who are striving for
The same end find themselves working AT Cross
purposes, while the consequent fusion on.
couraRes the wrong.doer aud disneartens the
upright.
Ohjec ction has been made 10 the proposed
separation on the ground that the customs
reVtnu has been successfully managed with
out IL; but IL should be borne in mind that the
entire responsibility of the execution of the
customs laws Is vested in the Secretary OF the
Treasury, the Com m lssioner of Customs under
The Ia Nv acting only as an accounting officer. or
dischargtDg such functions as may be devOlved
upon him by the Secretary.
The laws relating TO internal duties and Gus.
toms are framed in many particulars with
reference 10 eacn other. The official regulations
under them, especially those covering the
storage and movement of bonded property, are
ofieDtimes not dissimilar
The Treasury Department within recent
period has been enlarged. not alooe as other
ex ecutive departments have been, by The i'm
mense increase OF It's former varieties OF bust
NESS. but by the addition of several bureaus,
either of which, few years ago. would have
been regarded as sufficient for an Independent
department. 1t is TOO large now, and Its inte.
rests are too complex ana diversified for the
supervision of single officer.
believe the public interest would be best
subserved by the creation of a new department.
which should embrace the collection of all the
national revenues except those derived from
the sale of The public lands.