Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-12-08
FINAMClAL.
Complete Report of The Secretary
Of the Treasury.
TREAsuRr DEPARTMENT.

of tbs Treasurv DeparJ nlent.s In this re-
/ port I naturally treat first, Of the matters
of administration; then, Of the measures
I of public policy.
The officers in chqree OF the various bu-
reaus and divisions OF the Treasury De-
/ partment have faithfully performed their
/ duties, and ! commend their several re-
1 ports to the consideration OF Congress.
! The Treasurer of the United States-has
| prepared an elaborate report, setting forth
/ the present condition Of the treasury, and
/ furnishing a resume of the business of the
! Treasurer's office from 1861 to the present
/ term. The long and faithful services Ci
/ the present Treasurer is entitled 10 the
gratitude of he country.
/ The report OF the Commissioner OF In
/ ternal Revenue is respectfully commeu l.
/ ed 10 the attention Of Congress. Since
the appointment Of the present Com
missioner, the administration of officers
has been constantly improving.
The increase Of receipts for the first five
months of the present fiscal year is the
sum of 81 .443 1873 over the amount col
I lecled in the first five months OF the last
fiscal year. and is satisfactory testimony
As TO the integrity of all persons employed
in that branch Of the public service. The
amount paid by warrants for collecting
revenue from customs during the fiscal
year ending June 30. 1865, was S-,}7 S}S. .JfB:
and for the year ending June 30, lS69. S:i57.-
673 SI3-shOwing decrease of 500, l64, 80.
The decrease in the cost OF collecting the
revenue has not been attended by any loss.
OF the efficiency in the service, on the
other hand, il Is believed that the means
for the detection Of smuggling are better
than ever before, and the custOm-houSe
service is also constantly improving. l.
ought to be understood that the chief
means of collecting the internal revenue
and enforcing the revenue laws must he
found in the administration of the 3pprais-
ers' department. Frauds and losses aris-
ing from actual smuggling are unimpOr-
tant, when compared with the losses sus-
tanned through the incompetent or dis
honest examiners and appraisers. As
suming that honest men may be obtained
for these important positions at the pres
ent salaries, il is true that an incompetent
appraiser or examiner may daily subject
the government 10 losses far exceeding
the amount Of his salary. Under exist
ing laws certain revenue officers and 9th
er persons appraislng and lnformers are
entitled TO shares in the fines, penalties
and fOrfeitures. During the fiscal year
lS6S-'69 the Treasury Department distrib-
uted the sum of S2S. .6g7. .36l to such Off
GERS and to informers in the various cases
arising under the custom and revenue
laws. and a large additional sum was also
paid through the Internal Revenue Office.
The reason upon which the laws granting
such allowances is based is, that officers
of the government are stimulated 10
greater activity in the discovery OF frauds
and in bringing offenders TO punishment.
There can be no doubt thSJ sdOh IS the
effect of this policy, but the experience
have had in the Treasury Department has
convinced me the that the evils attending
the system are greater than the dement's
derived from it. II often occurs that rev.
enue officers are lead to assert claims IN
behalf Of the government which have no
Just foundation la laY or III the facts of
the respective cases; and where real
claims exist, it is often the object Gt the
informer and officers who share in the
penalties to misrepresent the case to the
gOVernInent so as 10 secure greater ad-
vantage to themselves; but amOre serious .
evil is found in a practice quite general OF
allowing persons a fraudulent course un- /
til a result II reached which viii inQre TO
the benefit of the officers and infOrmers, &
instead Of checking the practices at the I
outset Ii is impossible to set forth, IN /
exact language, the character Of the evils (
that grow out of the present system. I
am, however, clearly of the opinion that
the government ought to rely on public I
officers for the proper performance Of their
duties without stimulating them by any
contingent advantages. ! have recom- .
mended an increase of salaries of custom I
and the abolition Of the system of
giving TO them a share Of fines. penalties 4
and fOrfeitufes will be an additional rea- 4
son fGr an increase Of salaries in this de- .
Dartn nnent Of the put tstic service. 1t has be- 1
come q practice Tor clerks and other per !
sons who have held Office i'm the Treasury I
Department 10 accept employment as .
agents or attorneys for parties having .
claims against he Department, auG there .
is reason to believe in some cases the in
formation obtained while in public ser
vice has been used in aid of claimants.
Without detailing all the objections to .
his practice, / respectfully snggaat law
be passed barring persons from practiclng
before the Treasury Department as agents
Or attorneys in behalf of claimants, that
we're pending when such persons were Of
icers of the Department.
In March last there were employed
N the Treasury Department at
Washington, ISIS clerks, messengers.
md labcrenB at monthly cost Of SIS, ,592,
81. At present the whole number Of such
employees is 2.4i, and their monthly pay
'23, IS, $50, showing a decrease Of expense
II the rate of Sj.7I6,sO4 per annum. 1t
las been found necessary, however, dur
ng the periods mentioned, TO increase the
Ofce in the Internal Revenue office and
n the Office Of the First Comptroller.
lAE lAtECaEt III LLlE d4EfulGlt II ~ LAlI
ate of SS044 per annUm. This statement
loes not relate to the force employed in
he Bureau Of Engraving and Printing.
n March Jas. there were special agents IN
he service Of the Department, receiving
n the aggregate, for their services. the
um of S37, ,llO per day. Each OF these
gents made his report 10 the Department
nd acted ugder its direct order, The
lumber at present employed is fifty-four,
4 IL w.s.n 7aaa e -
Ias been Increased generally, in hope
hat more efficient services might be OBJ
aimed. As the coast and frontiers Of the
ountry have been divided into sixteen
pecial agency districts, and aSuperinten-
lent appointed for eacn, Assistants
ave been appointed and detailed 10
vet under the several district agents. The
riders Of the Department are in all cases
ent to the agent in charge of the district,
nC the reports of his assistants are made
o him. The agent is required TO make
monthly report Of his doings and OF the
ioings of his subordinates. The results
hus far obtained appear to justify the or
,aDization introduced.
Arrangements have been made for the
Of paper for currency and
,ther obligations OF the United States, and
or the printing of the same, which in
reases the security OF the Government
gainst unlawful issues from the genuine
,iates, under the llth section Of the act
June 20, 1864, entitled can act
o provide ways and means for the sup
,Ort Of the Government, and for other
4 peculiar paper has been
designed as the Government paper, and
" that act il Is made felony for any per-
on TO have or retain in his possession any
imilar paper adapted to making Obliga-
ions or security of the United States,
Xcept under authority of the Secretary
4 the Treasury. or some other proper Of
.eer Of the United States. Arrangements
ave been made for the manufac-
ure of this paper by Messrs.
Wilcox & Co.. near Philadelphia, and the
nills owned by them which are exclusive
Y devoted to the purpose, have been
llaced under the supervision Of officers of
he Government, and such preeaution
las been taken for the custody of portions
If the machinery as To render II impossl-
DE that the paper manufactured can be
obtained by dishonest means. II IS re-
'elyed by an agent Of the Government
stationed at the mills, and upon requisl-
ION Of the Department il is shipped to the
SatiOnalBank Note Company, the AmeTi-
an Bank Note Company, and to the
Printing Bureau of the Treasury Depart
nent, as the case may require. Arrange
nents have also been made with each Of
be two companies mentioned for prepar-
ng one set Of plates for every issue Of
,nrrency or other obligation The En-
craving Printing Bureau at Washington
proposes third set and each oface places
IN imprint upon every obligation OF the
Government. Notice OF the transmission
# paper from the agent az the mills and
Il receipt by each Of the several
,ficers Of the deliveries therefrom to
hesealing bureau in the Treasury Depart
neut, and also of deliveries to the Treas
lrer of the United States, is given, each
Law, by telegram or letter, and on the fol-
owing day the accountants in the Treasury
prepare statement showing
he disposition of every sheet OF
,aper manufactured in the month
# November. Paper at mill and
ach Of several printing estab
ishments. was carefully counted and re-
nit compared with account on Treasury
IN an aggregate Of about