The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-12-15

the vacancies in the lowest grades will be
filled by qualified persons selected at
large. The examination of the remain
ing officers will he continued.
MARINE HOSPITALS.
The condition of the Marine Hospitals
has been improved during the past year.
This result i. largely due to Dr.. J. s.
Billings, of the Surgeon Generals Office,
who has visited nearly all of them, and
through whose advice many important
changes have taken place. No appoint
ment has yet been made Of superinteu-
dent, under the act of the last session. bv
uthority Others wanted to appoint. 4
Superintendent is desirable, although the
salary does not appear to be sufficient. I,
however, recommend such alteration of
the law as will permit the President to
detail surgeon Of the army or navy to
perform the duty fSuperintendent with
out any addition to his pay other than
his necessary travelling expenses. With
such authority, the department could
have the benefit of the services of DR..
Billings, or some other competent sur
ge"n, with less expense than would be in
volved in larger APP ointment, even
with the present salary. Five of the
principal ports of the country, New York,
New Orleans, San Francisco, Baltimore,
and Philadelphia, are without hospital
accommodations, and provision is made
Tor the patients by contract with hospi-
tai or private parties. The war Depart
nent Is in possession Of very desirable
nospltal at New Orleans, known as the
Sedgwick Hospital, and earnestly rec
onlm' No the passage OF an act by which
oile building may be transferred to the
Treasury Department tor a marine hospi-
tai, and an appropriation made for the
purchase of tn land on which it stands.
at the last session, the attention of Con
gress was called To the subiect of trans
terrlng Davd's Island, at New York,
from The War Department to the Treas
airy Department, tor the establishment of
a Marine Hospital. This recommends
5ion Is now respectfully renewed
THE ALASKA SEAL FISHERIES
IL compliance with the act of July /,
1870, in reference to the seal fisheries,
proposals were issued and bids received
TOR the exclusive right to the fisheries for
she term OF twenty years. The phrase OIL
Ky employed IN the act warranted he
interpretation that the contract should
OC dW@IdNu W Ou0 AldSkd COnl
merclal Company, if their prop sitlon
was as favorable. to the government as
that OF any other party, and upon that
basis the contract was awarded to that
company A copy Of the contract and of
rhe papers connected Herewith, VIII be
transmitted To Congress. About $4,000
seal klns have arrived at San Francisco
rs the product of the year 1869, OH which
the owners have paid one dollar each, as
required by the sixth sec ion Of said act.
SALARIES.
l consider it my duty to call the atten-
| ton of Congress to the inadequacy and
lnequali y OF the salaries of the ufficers in
the Treasury Department, as fixed by law.
Tue offices recently established are sup.
ported by proper salaries, but the sala-
ries attached to many IF those created ut
the organization OF the government are
insufficient. AS temporary means of
| alternating the admitted evil, Congress
has, from time to time and for many
years, annually made appropriation % be
used at the discretion OF the Secretary for
additions to salaries OF officers in the de-
partment. In the nature of the case this
is a dlsagreeable duty for the Secretary
to perform. 1t is usually unsatisfactory
70 the parties interested, and the result
has not the sanction and support incident
to system of specified salaries estab-
lished by law. At the present time the
sum If $21 300 is distributed by the Sec
rotary n his discretion. After a careful
examination OF the subject I find that an
additional appropriation not exceeding
$40, ono year will be sufficient 10 pro-
vide adequate salaries for the officers Of
the Treasury Department
EXAMINATION OF CLERKS.
The act of 1853, in regard to the exam
nation of clerks, has been observed by
|this department, and with beneficial re.
suits. 1t Is worthy of consideration,
however, whether 1t woud not be wise
to provide by law tor an examining board
the majority of whose members should
not be members of the department to
Which the clerk is to be assigned in case
of appointment and approval. This sys-
TEN should also be extended to the prIn-
cipal custom houses and revenue offices
OF the country BY such an arrangement
u definite security would be taken for the
Character and qualifications of clerks, as
tar as they can be sscertalned or tested
wlthnui actual service in the discharge
of Official duty. 1t is well undtl stood,
however, that no examination can furnish
security that the person examined will
prove satisfactory upon trial, and there
should always be speedy and easy
method of removing such persons from
office do not therefore accept the idea
that the tenure of office for the clerks
and employees I'D this department should
be changed Indeed, | believe that the
present tenure of office furnishes the