The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-06-20
In regard to organization and system the committee

dtvlslOns ana supcrlnteudents than Te1ulrcu
the proper transaction oil the business Some consoi-
idatons OF divisions and some smplihcaons Of bush
ness have already been made on our recommendation
The force in the Engraving division Is also greater
the work requires They have forborre to recon-
mend any considerable reduction IA this direction IN
difference 10 tho opinion OF It's CHIEF but further In
curry and examination have convinced the committee
tnat although II Is just now July employed on these
bonds, the permanent expense OF maintaining
il is disproportionate 10 the cost OF
tho remainder OF tho bureau. Tho Engraving
OF portraits is still continued at considerable expense,
although lew plates now being prepared Inc
artist employed on the work. which IS done ~ MS
bome IN BROOKLYN ~ Is saa 10 DC as ,n ncs, nea ar
head believed to be excessive In view oil the
fact that there 1o7 such portraits now on hand
thirty oil which have never been used We recon-
mend that thcir production be suspended LOT
a time at least IL Is the practice OF the bureau 70
have engraved the portrait Of every cabinet oihcer
and OF such other prominent pubic mon as may DO
selected. As the law forbds the use OIL the portraits
oil living persons notes. bonds and otter securities,
and as they eau now be used only checks, drafts
and the like, We strongly recommend that Tue en-
CRAVING o. SUCH portraits oe msnnn
large part In It's past history ana ono not
able 10 It's reputatiop We regard the establishment
continuance oil such system dcmorazing In It's
tendency and entirely unwarranted by law. Acting
ON This view recommended the discharge Of tho two
detectives whom we found employed IN the Bureau,
aud action, glad 10 say, met with the APP
proval OF the Secretary. Another detective IS en-
pioyed at Philadelphia, nominally 10 look after the
paper mill, but arc unable discover that his scr.
OF any value. IL the Bureau needs the
ASSISTANCE OF u detective any ime II should apply
where ali the otner bureaus doto tho Secret Service
DIVISION OF tho experimentation which an appropra-
ton IL made by law.
Various details, such as the machine shop lover
time AMI purchase of supplies alluded to, In all
OF which serious recommendations for improvements
are suggested. Upon the last subject they say
The vouchers for the purchases Of the Bureau have
heretofore been passed under Instructions IRON tho
Secretary SIMPLY on The initials OF the chief
prices TO be paid, the functions OF tho
accounting officer being confined simply TO
verifying the arithmetical calculations. We recon-
that the be purchased after public adver-
tsement and award the prices made matter Of writ
ton ana s Y aw and that The ps
approved by the secretary OF the Treasury after exam
nation IN his Office We also recommend that the
furnishing paper and the printing OF securities,
when executed by private establishments, DO madc
matter Of formal written contract
Upon the status OF the bureau they say
Tho singular fact is presented OF the existence Of
Bureau the largest as we'll as the most expensive OF
OF the Bureaus OF the department whose chief re-
cclvcs compensation Of -, 800 per annum, but IS
neither appointed by the President nor subject to con-
lr:nation, Tor which there Is no provision OF law
specifically authorizing It's creation or defining tho
duties It's officers and employees, or limiting their
number No similar instance is 10 be found IN any OF
the departments oil the government We recommend
that the attention OF Congress be called 10 this
anomaly, and that appropriate legislation be suggested
Tho conclusion Is as ollows:-
This report has been written upon the assumption
that tho bureau 10 be continued and that tho prncl
pa purpose Of our Investigations has been to correct
the abuses which have grown up in IT, But TO our
past history, the loOscnceS ana extravaganza
which marked It's management and the scandals
to which II has given gwen rise furnish the strong.
possible argument against the engagement
OF tho government in branches OF industry which arc
ordinarily lett 10 private enterprise. The adoption of
a better system OF appointment, tho exclusion OF pc.
tica iuucnco and the exercise OF closer supervision
over the management of the bureau might 80 far 10
redeem reputution but the TACT would remain that
the business OF bank note engraving aud printing is
essentially private industry VI peculiar and techn
cal nature, 70 which the ordinary methods OF
public administration are not applicable. However
,V,ntar hand ant fhn thn
same Incentives 10 thoroughness, excellence and
economy cannot exist IN an establishment under gov
ernment management that are found Ia a private con-
cern, where the profits OF tho managers directly
dependent upon the quality Of the work aud the
economy OF It's production. Tho functions OF the gov
crnment are sufficiently numerous and extended even
when confined to objects to which they legtimatcly
apply In the Treasury department, especially. The
efficiency OF the supervision OF its chict
authorizes is greatly impaired by the vastness
OF the Held which is administration covers, and any
change which would contract that field without
Gcng The interests Of the government would DO tho
direction Of thorough administration. Regarding the
subject in ihis general view We DO not hesitate 10
declare that II would DO wise measure to rclegAte
into private hands the entire business OF printing
the public securities and to conhnc the functions 81
the Bureau Of Engraving and Printing to imprntng
thereon tho seal oil Tho department, simply as tho
1nal authorization OF their gcnuincness
We have the honor TO be, very respectfully, your
obcdent servants,
+ ED :; sH1y ahosI.corr, Committee
+. X. CHAPMAN,
Hon. JOHN sHEkxAS, Secretary Of tho Treasury
THE FOUR PER CENT BoNDs-How PRINCIPAL
AND INTEREST ARE PAYABLE.
The following decided upon at tho Cabinet meet.
ing to-day and the letter mailed from the Treas.
ury Department this aiternoon:-
TREASURY DEPARTMENT. !
WASHINGTON June 10, 1877
FRANCIS O. FRENCH. - Broadway, New York;
SiRYour letter OF the Ism inst, IN which you in
qure whether the four per cent bonds being sold
by tho payable principal aud interest,
u
The subject from Its great Importance has demanded
ami received careful consideration Under the laws
now in force thcre is CON issued or lssuable in
which the principal OF the four per cent bonds
dccmabc or the interest payable except the gold coin
OF United States oil the standard value liked by the
force the l4h OF July 1870 when the bonds
were authorized Tho government exacs In exchange
bonds pay their lace such gold coin,
and IL not TO be anticipated hat any future legislation
OF Congress any action OF any departmcnt of the
government would sanction or tolerate the redemption
OF the principal OF these bonds or the payment OF the
I'M crest thereon coin OF less value than tho
authorized BY law at tho time OF oil bonds,
be ng the cxacted by the government exchange
for the same The essential element OF good faith in
preserving the equality in value between the coinage
v hich the government receives and that In which
it pays these bonds will be sacredly observed
py the government ana tho people OF the
coinage which tho general policy OF tho nation may
any time adopt. This princp o is impressed upon tho
text OF the law OF July a. 1870 under whcn the four
per cent bonds issued, and requires In opinion
81 the Executive Department oil the government. the
redemption Of these bonds and the payment OF their
interest in coin of equal value with that which the
government upon their issue Very respect
fully, JOHN SHERMAN. Secretary.
PUBLIC LANDS OFFERED FOR SALE.
The President iny issued proclamation declaring
that public sale oil valuable government lands will
be he'd the Land ONCE, at Harrison, Ark. on Mon
day. October l. 1877, pursuance Of the act OF Con.
grcss approved july 4 1876 rcopcning TO public sale
the government lands IN Arkansas, Louisiana Mssis-
sippi, Alabama and Florida, which had previously
been subject only to homestead settlement The
lands referred TO IN the present proclamation consist
OF several hundred thousand acres in Arkansas. No
bid less than the government minimum OF 81 IS per
acre will be entertained, and any lands not disposed
at this public sale will thereafter be subject private
entry at 81 20 per acre. similar proclamation will
be Issued for tho sale OF lands in tho other three
States named soon as the necessary lists can be
rrnnred BY the General Land Office No public lands