New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-06-29
ments agreed to without debate. June 2o-Senate
amendments agreed to by the House. Juno Designed
by the President
SPECIAL ALLOWANCES.

1Akf Of THE TREASURY IN SAiAh-
RIEs OF COLLECTORS OF CUsToMs-NoTABLE IN
STANCES IN WHICH ACCOUNTS HAVE BEEN RE-
OPENED AND SALARIES INCREASED.
PROM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THRtTRDUNEl
WASHINGTON. June Ex-senator Edmunds held
up his hands in holy horror when, few weeks ago,
it proposed to allow the Secretary of the Treas
ury TO determine within fixed limits the salaries of
the Collectors of Customs at few unimportant ports
At the same time no and other Senators knew or
ought TO have known, that the salary of every col
ector of internal revenue in the country was fixed
by the Secretary of the Treasury and he might have
learned that Secretaries Boutwell, and Richardson
had so executed the law authorizing this to make
it great scandal that would not bear investigations
And yet, although attention has been repeatedly
called to this subject Congress had neither the time
nor tho inclination to inquire into or reform this
abuse. The law for the compensation of Collectors
of Internal Revenue is as follows:
And be IL further enacted That there shall be allowed
TO collectors in full compensation for their services and
that of their deputies, salary Of 1890 per annum to
be paid quarterly and In addition thereto commits ION
OF three per centum upon the first 100000 and COM
mission OF one per centum upon all sums above soto
and exceeding 100000 and commission OF onehalf
Of one per centum all above 100000 and not ex
ceeding S10OOO0O. and one-eChth OF one per centum
on all sums above sl,OcOO0O such commissions
specvely collected and paid and accounted for
under the instructions Of the Treasury Department
there shall be further paid after the account thereof
has been rendered to and approved by the proper OIL
OF the Treasury, to each collector bis necessary
and reasonable charges for advertising stationery, and
blank books used in the performance OF his official du-
ties for postage actually paid letters and docu-
mens received sent, nd:excusively relating to OIL
cia business but no such account shall be approved
unless shall the date and the particular items OF
every expenditure. and SHALL be verified by oath
or affirmation OF the collector. Prorided, That the Sec
rotary the Treasury be authorized TO make such fur
Their al owances from time 10 time may be reasOna-
be in in which, from the territorial extent OF the
district or from the amount OF internal duties collected,
from other circumstances it may seem just to make
such allowances.
This prOviso, by authority of which special allow
ances are and have been made is part of the act of
March g. 1863 The first aud most natural criticism
that would be made upon it is that it violates in
principle the whole theory on which public servants
in the United States are paid. Any member of Con-
gress would be considered insane should he propose
to allow the Secretary OF the Treasury to fix the
salary of the clerks employed in the department i'm
mediatey under his supervision but for nine years
that officer has been arbitrarily fixing the salaries OF
Collectors of Internal Revenue with whose exact
duties it is impossible for him to be familiar. lie has
done this too, without reporting to the President OF
to Congress at what rate he has paid these men OF
how eXtravagant his allowances for expenses have
been.
The arbitrary power to fix salaries and thus to
give to favortes extraordinary compensation for
their services is not the worst feature of this law.
The Treasury Department has construed it in such
way as TO authorize Secretary not only to fix the
salaries of Collectors for the current year. or for the
r 1. ..I,, Tho
time settled but to reopen old accounts settled and
closed even before the law in question was passed.
and to increase the compensation of Collectors for
those years. For instance, April 5, 1867 one month
and two DAYS after the passage of the act the Secre
tary of the Treasury reopened the account of james
Sweet Collector of the District of Nebraska, for the
period embraced between Oct., 1862, and March 81,
1865 aud so readusted his salary and expenses as to
ri We him $1,000 10 in cash. The rate OF salary by
this allowance was fixed at $500 year. Again,
March II, 1872. Mr.. Sweets account was again
opened for the time from Sept, IT, 1862, to Aug .,
1856, his salary raised to $500 year, and enough
added to his expense account to make the amount OF
cash still due him S5,4j6 81. Here was an officer
who served from Oct l. 1862 to April 5, 1865, for the
legal fees of his position. 1t is to be presumed that
they were ADEQUATE or he would not have remained
in office two and half years. At the latter date he
convinced the Secretary of the Treasury that he
was not receiving sufficient compensation, and that
officer gave him a special allowance by winch his
salary was fixed at 1880, the increase to date back
from Oct. 1, 1862 Seven years more go by; new
Administration has just completed its first term, and
is plotting for q secOnd new Secretary OF the
Treasury in Office and on the 18th OF March, 1917
Mr. Boutwell, reopens this mans account beginning
in 1862 and ending in 1866 and decides that he ought
lot1a N fpor n Try
than what Secretary McCulloch determined was
fair nav. If Secretary Boutwell, could thus review
Secretary McCullochs action in fixing this mans
salary from 1862 to 1885, what is to prevent the pres
emf Secretary from reviewing Mr.. Boutwells, and
decreetng that the man ought to have had $500
year instead of 81 500 S2,5o0. and paying him the
difierencef
This case is by no means a solitary one, but Is
sample of what has been done in great number of
districts II. Merriam was Collector OF the Fifth
District of Wisconsin from Sept. g. 1862, to June 80
1854 In August 1865 the Secretary of the Treasury
becoming that he had not been sufficiently
paid out of the legal fees fixed his salary for the
term named at $500 year. and allowed him
about 81 900 for expenses On the 2Sth of February
1872 nearly eight years after the service was rem
dered. Secretary Boutwell, raised MeTiam's salary
for 1924 to $4,000 year, and still later. Sept g.
1872 raised it again for the same period to 1880
year. Mr. j. w. Douglass, the present Commissioner
of internal Revenue has also been favored with
special allowances. He was Collector of the Nine
teenth Pennsylvania District from July l, 1862 to
June 90 1862 BY various special allowances in 1868
and 1869 bis salary was fixed at $4,000 year. But
on July TO- 1872 in the midst of the last Presidential
campaign, when every Federal officer was called
upon for contributions to assist in the reelection oil
ft.ay, hain m sci OF
If Internal Revenue Secretary Boutwell, raised his
=, Gov tba wars 1862 o. inclusive to $500 o