The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1869-04-15

tN ANA Wy I'AAh Ah ~ ~ ANNFN NlNA
atoms combined produce noise aud
disturbance in the building, together
with all degrees and Kinds of noxious
efliuvias, to the very great annoyance
and detrimeut Of persons connected
with that wing Of the building where
these operations arc going ON, The
number of persons employed about
these various operations sometimes
runs as highas 600 or 700. The
books aud accounts between the vari.
Gus subdivisions Of the printing cs-
tablishmcnt have b en- until recently
to say nothing of tho defects still cx-
isiiug, so irregularly kept, aud cou-
tain, many Of them, on examination,
so many asurcs and alterations, as
considerably to diminish confidence
in the accuracy Of the results derived
from such sources. This is, perhaps,
not altogether the fault Of the head
of the bureau, for 50 long as persons
we're employed there upon the rec
ommeudatiou Of Senators, members
of Congress aud other porsous having
political influence, vithoutvo;y strict
regard to 'ho qualities essential to
Gilhfulncss aud accuracy, it was not
to be expected that all tho persons
having business or clerical duties to
perform there would perform them
with absoloto accuracy.
Some Of the discrepancies and diff
fcultics in the operation Of the bureau
and of the explanations aud answers
to them, will be found in the accom-
pauyiug report of Messrs, Marsh,
Pratt, Moore and Wyman, and the
commentary of Mr.. CLARK thereon,
and in the reply of these geutlemon
to his answer.
TO put the best face upon il, it is
evident that the course Of things here
has not been such as to merit our
commcndation. AS will be seen by
the evidence herewith returned, ma
ny things have bcen done, which, al
though perhaps innocent in them
selves, could but have a dcmoraliziGg
tendency, aud to suggest upportuui.
ties aud methods Of fraud to employ.
ccs. The committee have inspected
the operations of the bureau as thor>
oughly as possible, aud have examin
ed Eany witnesses relative to it whose
testimony is returned herewith, aud
they have also informally conferred
with and examined many others. The
result is, that while we cant find
that the persons in chief charge have
been guilty of any crime or intention
al wrong toward the Government,
there has been iuexcusablc neglect
and care cssncss in the methods and
operations of the bureau, which fur.
nish abundant opportunities and
and temptations to fraud, and even by
the persons connected with it. How
it will turn out remains to be deter.
mined when tho loans are withdrawn.
But as to the fractional currency,
particularly II any fraud has occur.
red il can never be ascCrtaiued from
redemption unless the frauds have
been enormous in amount.
The committee wish to call ntteu-
ton to the fact that there are in pos.
session of the Bank Note Company at
New York, and also at tho Treasury,
considerable quantity Of engraved
plates used in printing the older is
sues Of securities of the various kinds,
which are now no longer needed, aud
which the committee believe ought to
be condemned aud destroyed, in or.
der to obyiate all possibility of any
improper use or disposition of the
same. This committee are not aware
that airy legislation is required fox
this purpose, but suppose the end
can be accomplished in the discre =
ton Of the Secretary of the Treasury,
inasmuch as the Bank Note Company
have expressed their entire willing
ness to have all old plates, although
they claim TO be the owners of some
of them, destroyed upon payment, as
to those they own, Of a fair compen-
sation.
On a general survey of the opera
tions caused by the investigation of
the committee, they could not fail to
be struck with the difference in the
management and details both person
al aud otherwise between such opcr-
ations carried on by paid officers hav
ing certain fixed hours Of labor, and
feeling no other responsibility at best
than that Of doing their duty from o
O'Clock in the forenoon, aud similar
operations carried on by private per-
sons or corporations where the indi-
vidual prosperity and success of the
persons managing the sams were in
volved, and where no other motive
for employing subordinqtes existed
than that OF obtaining those persons
who could bring to their duties the
greatest amount of capacity and iidel.
ity. 1t mnst be confessed that such
comparison is unlavorab!e to the
Government engaging in any oper-
ations Of this character when il can
rossibIy be dispensed with. OF course
tho committee not mean to inti-
mate that all or even the majority of
the persons employed by the Govern
ment in these affairs are either inca
pable or unfaithiul, but from polite
al aud other causes so larg" an ele>
ment of iueopacity, carelessness and
unfaithfulness is introduced into the
operations as in considerable degree
to deraugs and paralyze the efforts Of
/ those who are sincerely DESTROYS Of
doing the best possible for the Gov.
ernment.