Evening star., 1869-12-06

| through the internal revenue oricc. The rea-
son on which the laws granting such allowances
are based is that Officers OF the t;overninent are
| stimulated 10 greater activity m the dis
oerery Of frauds, aud in bringing the
Offenders TO punishment; There can
| but the experience have had i'm the Treasury
DepaI tlnent has convinced me that the evils at
tending the system are greater than the benefits
del a from IL X often occurs that rcycnu
ofnccrs are led to assert claims I'm bchalf % the
tioTernment which have no just foundation ina
aw as N TIE facts OF the respective cases; and
where real claims exists IL j. often the object uf
the inioTmers and offc " no share in the pen
aIties TO misTcrresent the TO the Depart
meni. 80 as to secure the greatest advantage a.
| Il cnlsclycs. But more serious evil = found
| I'm the practice, quite general. OF allowing per
cas- to pu:Sre fraudulent course until a result
- IL he'd which will inure to the benefit of tn,
Ofic.ls and inicTmer-. instead Of checking
criminal practices NJ the outset. IL s i;at,oS>-
lie 70 set forth in exact language the character
al the evils that grow out ot tue pTcSent system
am, however. clearly of the ol'!aiaa that tn.
Government "ySnt Ia rely Ulon public officers
iof the proper performance of their duties.
" Sithout stimulating them by anV contingent ad-
yantaces. ] have elsewhere recommended am
increase Of the salaries OF c,J~tomhouse officers.
and the abolition of the system of giving Ia
them share uf fines. penalties and iOrfciturtS
viii he an additional reason for the increase OF
salaries in this department OF the public service
IL has become practice for clerks and other
persons WHO have held office i'm the. Treasury
Department TO accept employment as agents or
attorneys for parties having claims a rliust the
Department; and there iS reason 20 believe that
in some instances the information obtained
while ia tie public service has been used in aid
OF the claimants. Without detailing all the Oh
Jectio:ls Ia this practice respectfully suggest
that law be passed barring persons from prac-
ucing before the Treasury Department agents
or 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 2AfS
clerks. messengers. and laborcrs. al a monthly
cost of S2s5. 81 At present the whole number
OF such employees is ., AL and their monthly paw
amounts TO S1rSs .2a4. showing a decrease of
expenses at the rate of SJs ,CssO4 per annum Ii
was found necessary, however, during the pc
riod mentioned, 10 increase the force in the In
ternal Revenue Office and in the Office Of the
First Comptroller. This increaSc. in the aSgrc-
gate, Is at the rate Of 10 40 per annum. This
statement does not relate 10 the force employed
in the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
In March last there were siNtN-two special
agents in the service of Che Department. recriv-
ing, ia the aggregate, for their services the sum
Of =" llo per day. Each Of these agents made
Hls reports TO the Department and acted under
its direct orders. The number at present EN-
pioNcd j. Gfty-four, and their tally pay
amounts TO s;;6ssj. The pay Of the agents
has been increased generally, in the hope
that more efficient services might be OBJ
tanned. The seacoast and frontiers of the
country have been divided into sixteen special
agency districts and superintendent appointed
Tor each. Assistants have been appointed and
detailed TO act under the several district agents
The orders OF the department are i'm ali cases
sent TO the agent in charge OF the district and
the report Of his assistants are made 10 him.
The agent i required To make monthly report
Of his OWN doings and of the d0in@S of his subor
'iinatcs. The results thus tar obtained app, ar
10 justify the organization introduced.
Arrangements have been made for the nan;l-
tacture of paper for the currency aud other on
legations OF the nitcd States and for the uriut-
ing OF the same, which increase the security of
the Government against unlawful iS~ues from
the genuine plates. Under the ll;h section Of
an act approved June 90. 1874. entitled AN acl
10 provide ways and means for the support of the
s.sSsiniasni, and tor other PURPOSES, a pecu-
liar paper has been designated rs the Govern
neht paper, and 10y that act II l. made a felony
for amy person TO have retain Ia his poSS..sson
any similar paper adapted to the making.
of any obligation or security of the 4 -Uitnd
States, EXCEPT under the authority of the
Secretary of the Treasury or some other proper
officer ot the United States. Arrangements have
been made ior the manufacture of this paper I,1
Messrs. Wilcox X Co.. near Philatleifhia and
the mills o1 ned 10y them. which are exclusively
devote u To this purpose. have been placed under
the supervision of the officers Of the Govern
mcnt, and such precautions have been taken for
the custody of portions of the machinery a. to rem
nder IL improbable that the paper manufactured
can be obtained 10y dishonest means. IL is re-
ceiNed by an agent Of the Government. stationed
at the mills, and, upon the acquisitions OF tine De-
partment, il is shipped 10 the National Bank
Note Company. the American Bank Note Com
pany, or the printing bureau OF the Treasury
Department, a. the case may require. Arrange
ments have also been made with each of th. two
companies mentioned for preparing one set of
plates lor every issue Of currency other obli-
CATION. 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 from the agent at the mills and it, RECENT
by each of the several OFFICES OF the deliveries
therefrom to the scaling bureau i'm the
Treasury Department and also OF deliveries OF
the Treasurer OF the United States, il given each
day ny telegram or by letter, and ON th" follow
day the accountants IN the Treasury Depart
mt MT prepare statement showing the ,iisi,oSi-
non of every sheet OF paper manufactured In
the month of November the paper at TN, mill
and I'M each of the several printing establish
ments was carefully counted. and thc result
compared with the accounts in the Treasury
Department. In aggregate of about
GOO 900 of sheets received bN the agent ar the
mills, discrepancies were found to the extent
OF sixty sheets Of fractional currency pape.
and for the money value OF which the comma
mics doing the work responsible. IL is l,..-
leved that these arrangements furnish better
security than has heretofore existed against the
fraudulent issue of currency or other Ol,Ii.a-
tions OF the Government by the ne uf the oripi-
nal dies or plates, and the system OF frequent
examinations OF the several establishments en-
trusted with the work will disclose at once any
discrepancies in the accounts Ii i not prol,a bic
that the changes made viii diminish the expellse
indeed, the cost l. greater tan IL would ", il the
work in all it, branches were done in the Treas
ury Department.. In my judgment, however,
the additional security II of more consequence
TO the Government than the Mere economy oi
money III the expense ot engraving and print
ing.
The marine hospital service of the country -
upon the whole in unsatisfactory condition.
Several hospitals have been erected ri points
where at present they are not needed, while the
great commercial cities OF New York, Philadc!-
phia, and Baltimore have no hospital acc0mlno-
dations for sick and disabled scamcn. Durin.
the past season a careful examination OF these
sttutions has been made by Dr. Stewart. AN
agent Of the Treasury, and by Dr. Billings, of
the United States army. The result Of
their examination is that several hospitals
have not been properly managed, that others
should be closed, and that hospitals should be
erected at New York, Baltimore, and Philaiei-
phia. Measures have already been taken for the
sale Of the hospitals at several places where
they are not needed. The hospital ar New pr-
leans is represented as unsuitable, from had To-
cation and other circumstances. The War De-
partment is i'm possession OF suitable hospitals
at New Orleans and New York. which, a. 4 am
infoi I'd, are no longer needed for the use OF
the army. i respectfully recommend that they
lie transferred TO the Treasury Department.
The revenue marine system l. an imI,ortant
and expensive branch OF the custoIns-reyenne
service. There are thirty-siN vessels belonging
10 the Department, of which twelve are sail-
ing vessels, and twenty-four are steamerS
They vary i'm size from forty 10 four hundred,
and eighty tons.
One hundred and seventy-three officers and
eight hundred and twenty-iour men are re-
guired TO man these vessels, and their running
eNpenst amount TO about sSs5 900 a wear Five
of these yCssels-side-whe steamers of $50 tons
burden are lake steamers and ont af