The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-12-07
THE FINANCES.
Annual Report OF the Secretary of the
Treasury-The Doings and Condi-
tion of the Department-our
Banking System.

bureaus and divisions of the Treasury Department
have faithfully performed their duties, and COM
mend their several reports to the consideration of
Congress.
The Treasurer of the United States has prepared
an elaborate report setting forth the present con
diton of the Treasury and furnishing a resume Of
the business of the TreaSurerS Office from 1861 to
the present time The long and faithful services
of the present Treasurer entite him to the graft
siOner of Internal Revenue is respectfully com
meRded TO the. attention of Congress. Since the
appointment of the present Commissioner the ad-
ministratioh Of the Office has been constantly i'm
proving
of the present fiscal year in the of s4 43l 333O6
over the amount collected in the first hye months
OF the last fiscal year. IS satisfactory testimony TO
IA that branch of the public service
The amount paid by warrants for collecting the
ng SeIV june 60 1868 was s6S8 and for the year
ending June 30, 1869, 1876, Sl3, showing de;
collecting the revenue has not been attended by any
loss of efficiency in, the service. On the other
hand, il is believed that the means for the detec;
tiOn OF smuggling are better than ever before, and
that the Custom House service is also constantly
Il ought to be understood that the chief means
of collecting the revenue and enforcing the reVe:
nue. laws must be found in the administration of
the Appraisers Department The frauds and
losses arising from actual smuggling are unlm;
portant when compared with the losses sustained
through incompetent and dishonest examiners and
assuming that honest men may be obtained for
these important positions at the present salaries,
it is yet true that an incompetent appraiser or ex
aminer may daily subject the Government to
losses far exceeding his annual salary. Under eX-
listing laws certain revenue officers and other per-
sons appearing as informers are entitled to shares
in fines, penalties and forietures. During the
fiscal year lS6S-69 the Treasury Department dis.
trbuted the sum of S2S6,O7361 to such officers and
to informers, in the various cases arising under
the customs revenue laws, and large additional
sum was also paid through the internal revenue
Office.
The reasons on which the laws granting such al
lowances are based is that officers OF the Govern
coTeTS S[a and IN S Tngng
1Shment. There can be no doubt that such is the
effect Of the policy, but the experience have had
in the 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 led to assert claims i'll be-
half of the Government, which have no just foun
dation in law or in the facts of the respective
cases and where real claims exist it is often the
object of the informers and officers, who share in
the penalties to misrepresent the case to the De
themselves.
But more serious evil is found in the practice,
quite generalo allowing persons to pursue fraud
ulent course until a result is reached, which will
1nure to the benefit OF the officers and ln10rmerS IN
stead Of checking criminal practices at the outset.
1t is impossible to set forth in exact language the
character OF the evils that grow out OF te preSent
s Sse a TO rey UPON ES il Sbc
for the proper performance OF their dulles, Witou
stimulating them by any e9nngent @ ~ ba
salaries of Custom House officers, and the apontlon @
OF the system OF gEng to m tem I'm a. shade on ns pe
son for the increase of salaries in this department
It has become a practice for clerks and other per-
sons who have held office in the Treasury Depart
ment, to accept employment rs agents for attor
neyS for parties having claims against the depart
ment and there is reason to believe that in some
instances the information obtained while in the
public service has been used in aid of the claimants
Without detailing all the objections to this prac
tice respectfully suggest that a law be passed
sury Department as agents or attorneys in behalf
of claims that were pending when such persons
there were employed in the Treasury Department
at Washington, 2S4S clerks, messengers @ and Ia
the whole number of such employees Is 2i4l, and
their monthly pay amounts to S23S, 2S08t showing
decrease OF expenses at the rate OF l6SSO4 per
1t was found necessary, however, during the
period mentioned, to increase the force in the In
ternal Revenue office and in the office OF the First
Comptroller This increase in the rg aggregate Is at
does doe not not relate to the force employed in the
bureau OF engraving and printing IN, IN March Nj &
service Of the department, receiving, in the ag,
gregate, for their services the sum OF S3lllO per
department and acted under its direct orders.
The number at present employed is ffty-four, and
their daily pay amounts to S36SS5.
The pay of the agents has been increased gene
rally in the hope that more eflicent services might
be obtained The sea coast ana frontiers OF the
for each. Assistants have been appointed and de-
tailed to act under the several district agents. The
orders of the department are in all cases, sent to
the agent in charge of the district, and the report
of his assistants are made to him. The agent is
required to make monthly report OF his own
dongs and OF the dongs OF his subordinates: The
results thus far obtained seem to justify the or.
ganization introduced.
Arrangements have been made for the manu-.
facture of paper for the currency and other obi
cations of the United States, and for the printing
of the same, which increase the security of the
Government against unlawful issues from the
genuine plates. Under the eleventh section of an
act approved June 80, 1864, entitled IAN act to
provide ways and means for the support OF the
Government
paper has been designated rs the Government
paper and by that act it is made felony for any
person to have or retain III ms possession M an any
cation or security of the United States, except
under the authority of the Secretary OF the Trea
sury, or some other proper officer OF the United
States.
arrangements have been made for the manufac
ture of this paper by MessrS Wilcox Co., neal
Philadelphia, and the mills owned by them which
are exclusively devoted to this purpose have beer
placed under the supervision of the officers of the
Government, and such precautions have beer
taken for the custody Of portions OF the machinery
as to render it improbable that the paper manufac
tured can be obtained by dishonest means. 1t is
received by an agent of the Government stationed
partment, it is shipped to the National Bank Note
Company, the American Bank Note Company, Ol
to the Printing Bureau of the Treasury Depart
ment, as the case may require.
Arrangements have also been made with each O
the two companies mentioned for preparing one
set OF plates for every issue Of currency other
obligation. The engraving and printing bureau al
Washington prepares third set and each office
places an imprint upon every obligation of the
Government. Notice OF the transmission of paper
rom the agent at the mills, and its receipt by eacl
of the several officers OF the deliveries therefrom
to the sealing bureau in the Treasury Department
and also of deliveries to the Treasurer OF the
United States is given each day by telegram or bS
letter, and on the following day the accountants
in the Treasury Department prepare Statement
showing the disposition OF every sheet of paper