Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1883-10-31
Signing Official Papers.

tary Treasury New the other day
about the signing of public papers. In
every one OF the Departments here the
labor OF signing routine letters and
papers is beyond ordinary comprchen-
sion. This labor falls chiefly upon As
sistant Secretaries and chiefs of bu-
reaus, and is about the same in all
public offices. The number of public
documents, papers, ETC., that are piled
upon the desk of one of the officials is
sometimes enormous. Now, under the
law, 1t is supposed that the official who
afiixes his signature to public paper
knows what he is doing. Technically
he is responsible in each case. Really
there is no responsibility. The custom
or law which compels him to assume
the responsibility is mere "bosh."
Mr.. New said: "Isign twice as many
papers every day in the year as l could
possibly read if had never lost a day.
Except In cases involving money, / do
not pretend to read them. l know no
more, and can know no more of their
contents than the man in the moon. 1t
is all l can do to glance over the subject
matter of letters and documents involv-
ing money; even this examination is
cursory. In the matter of letters, SO
many Of them are signed every day am
unable even to make acursory examina-
ton. Yet the law compels me to sign
these papers or affix my initials to them.
1t is so in all the public offices of the
Government. The most l can do is to
see that the initials of trusted clerk
are affixed to the document. 1t is a
physical ,impossibility to know what we
are signing"
what remedy would you suggest
for such a state of aifairsp"
IL do not know what could be done.
/ only think some remedy should be
applied; that somebody should be re-
sponsible by law in this matter of sign
ing public papers, q responsibility
which would be in fact as well as in
name So far as routine work is con-
,cerned, it would be Just as well to let
the trusted clerks and others sign the
papers and be responsible for tue con-
tents. reserving those of higher end,
such as money warrants, contracts,
etc., to those of more responsible posi-
tons. Most of this is routine work,
and could be discharged as we'll by a
clerk as by an Assistant Secretary or
Cabinet officer"
This subject was brought TO my mind
the other day when was in the office
of the Second Assistant Postmaster
General. Mr.. Elmer was engaged in
the process of affixing his initials or
signature to bushel basketball of doc
ments. l asked him what they
were. postal contracts" said he,
"lines, forfeitures, etc." | watched
him for five minutes, and during that
time he got through a remarkable
quantity of the work which gave a
messenger as much as he could do to
blot and remove the documents as fast
as signed. These papers were all in
Jackets" and none of them were
opened or examined. How could
help but think about the famous in
dorsement of Thomas j. Bradyp
"Do this-Brady" is the most familiar
feature in the pending celebrated Star
route trials. What under heavens is
there in this process of signing postal
contracts, fines and forfeitures, etc., to
protect man in the position of Second
Assistant Postmaster-Genera This
process is not an annual one. 1t is
every three months, and for three or four
weeks. Every day during that time
stacks and stacks of these important
papers are signed and hurried away into
the archives of the Office and the peck
cts of contractors. The fines and for
FIXTURES for neglecting to carry accord
ing to contract amount to from $780,
0OJ to $500, 900 per annum. What does
the Assistant Postmaster-Ge General know
about the contents of these papers and
contracts. Were he five different in
dividuals, having ten hands and living
forty-eight hours out of every day in the
year, he could not read aud handle and
comprehend half of the documents he
signs every year. 1t is the veriest farce.
To sit there and see him do it for five
minutes is enough to awaken sympathy
even for Brady in the predicament he
finds himself. 1t is not the fault of the
Second Assistant General,
or General this or General that, it is
the fault of the absurd law which ORR
ginated when the Government was
small and work insignificant, and which
is still in effect, although the work has
doubled and quadrupled in volume.
1t was only few years ago that the
President was relieved of the response
cAiiey Va siShihS iduu pdtcutS W tuc
passage of a law appointing a clerk for
that especial purpose. There is an ex-
ecutivc clerk appointed under that law
who afiixes the Presidents signature
to all the land patents. Among these
are very important patents involving
thousands of acres of land, mineral
lands and millions and millions of dol
lars. Before the passage of that law
giving the President this clerk the labor
Of atlixing the Presidents signature
was enough TO break down the ordinary
executive.
There would appear to be no reason
why some clerks could not be provided
for by law to afiix the signatures of i'm
portant officials to public documents, of
the routine kind. These clerks could
DO made responsible to the officials
themselves, and, occupying con-
fidential relation, the responsibility,
though apparently delegated to the
clerk, would, in fact, remain in the
person of the official. Washington Cor.
Pittsburgh Dispatch.