The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-12-30
THE TREAS 2.
Annual Report of sec'y EsoHfvess
TREASURY DEPARTMENT, DEC. s.


dition of the Treasury Department Ii
this report l naturally treat first OF tht
matters of administration, and sFef
measures of public policy. The Officers
In charge of the various bureaus and dlvf
Gions of the Treasury Department nave
faithfully performed their duties, and
commend their several reports Q the con
alteration of Congress. the Treasurer OF
fhe United States has prepared an clad
crate report, setting forth the present
condition of the Treasury, and furnishing
q 7s.uu1s of the business OF the Frea%ary
Office. from 1861 to the present terra,
The long and faithful services OF the
present Treasurer are entitled to the
gratitude of the country. The report OF
Ehe Commissioner of Internal Revenue Is
resvectfully commended to the attention.
~ Congress Since the appointments Of
the present Commissioner, the admlnlstfa-
ton of the office has been constantly ina
proving the increase Of receipts for the
first ave months Of the present fiscal year
N the sum of $14,431 ,331 ,06 over the
amouns collected IN the hrsS tive mossls
of the last fiscal year, were satisfactory
testimony to the ability and integrity OF
the persons employed in that branch
of the public service
The araonnt paid by warrants for col
Letting the revenue from customs during
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1868, waa
&C. 378, 1885,. 43, and for the year ending
June 80, 1859, 1876, 1888, showing a
decrease of 81, OO1 ,647.30; the decrease la
the cost of collecting revenue has not
been attended by any loss of ethclsncJ IN
the service; on the other hand, 1t Is be-
l1eyed that the means tor the detectloa
of smuggling are better than ever before,
and thas the Custom House service is also
constantly improving 1t ought to be ua-
derstood that the chiefmeans OF collecting
revenue and enforcing the revenue laws,
must be found in the administration OF
HE Appraisers Department; the frauds
and losses arising from actual smuggling
are uninportant when compared with
The losses sustained through the lncona-
petent or dishonest examiners and ApPlal
sers. Assuming that honest men may be
found for these important positions at the
present salaries, it is yet true that the
incompetent appraiser or examiner may
daily subject the Government to Losses
far exceeding the amount OF his salary
Under the existing laws certain revenue
officers and persons, appearing as inform
ers are entitled to shares in the fines,
penaltiss, and forfeitures. During the
fiscal year 1860 the Treasury Depart
ment distributed the sum Of 1886, 073.61
To informers in the various cases arising
under the customs end revenue laws. a
large additional sum was paid through
the internal revenue office. The reason
ON which the laws granting such allowsn
ces is based is, that officers of the Gov
eminent are stimulated to greater actlv-
ity on the discovery of frauds and bring
rng offenders to punishment there can
be no doubt that such is the effect OF this
policy, but the experience | have had IN
Ehe Treasury Department has convinced
me that the evils attending the system
are greater than the benefits derived
from it. 1t often occurs that revenue
officers are led to assert claims in behalf
of the Government, which have no just
foundatjsmi in law, or in the facts of the
respective cases, and where real claims
existSit is often the object of the inform
Grand officers who share in the penalties
to misrepresent the case to the Govern
ment 50 as to secure the greater advan-
tage to themselves. But more serious
evil is found in the practice of allowing
persons to carry out fraudulent course
until a result is reached which will
insure to the benift of officers and in
formers, instead of checking the criminal
practices outside. 1t is impossible to set
forth in exact language the character of
the evils that grow out of the present sys-
TEN. l am, however, clearly OF the opin-
ion that the Government ought to rely
upon pnblic officers for the proper per
Torrance of their duties, without stimla-
ting them by any contingent advantages.
I have recommended an increase of salar-
les of custom officers, and the abolition of
the system Of giving them share of the
fines, penalties and forfeittures will be an
additional reason for an increase Of salar-
les in this department of the public ser
vice.
1t has become practice for clerks and
other persons who have held Office in the
Treasury Department to accept employ
ment as agents or attorneys for parties
having claims against the department
and there is reason to believe that, in
some instances, the information obtained
while in public service has been used in
aid of the claimants. Without detailing
all the objections to this practice, l re
spectfully suggest that law be passed
barring persons from practicing before
the Treasury Department as agents Oh
attorneys in behalf of claims that were
pending, when such persons were officers
of the department.
In March last there were employed in
the Treasury Department at Washington
2,848 clerks, messengers and laborers
at monthly cost of 1886, 921.51 at pres
ent the whole number of such employees
is 2,441, and their monthly pay amounts
to $685., 2SO.81, showing a decrease Of ex