The Evening critic., 1885-03-21
TIE TREASURY INVESTIGATION.
Tho Example 90 be Followed In
0ther Depnrtmeuts.

THE TREASURY IAVESTIGATiOh'
Tho Example 90 be Followed in
Other Departments.
Tho letter addressed Jointly TO Assistant
Secretaries Fairchild and Coon and Assist
ant Treasurer Graves, appointing them as
commission to investigate tho workings Of
tho Treasury Department, is as follows;
GEETLEMES You ore hereby designated as
commission 10 make an examination OF tho
Treasury Department with special references
TO the eimpllicatlon and improvement OF the
methods OF dong business aud to the reduc
ton and Encouragement OF the onlcinl and
clerical force. You are authorized TO call be-
employee OF tho Department, 10 call for such
statements as may seem to you necessary,
ana TO inspect personally The books, accounts
ana records.
You Will report to me from time to time
your conclueions and recommendations. You
will be provided with the clerical assistance
required to enable yoh to prosecute your in.
quiripe promptly and thoroughly. III any
recommendation which YOU may make for tho
discharge OF employees you Will be guided
solely by their fltnoes TO perform the duties
assigned them, having due regard to the pro-
Visions OF section 1904 Of tho Revised Statutes
and Of section o OF the act Of August 10, 1876.
The statutes referred to in Secretary
Manning's letter arc as follows;
Section 1864 Revieod statutes--1ersons
honorably discharged from the military or
naval service, by reason OF disability result
Ing from wounds or sickness incurred In tho
line OF duty, shall be preferred for appoint.
ments 70 civil onlcee, provided they are found
TO possess the business capacity necessary
for the proper discharge OF the duties OF such
office.
Section o OF tho act OF August 10, 1876.
That whenever IN the Judgment OF the head
OF any Department the duties assigned TO
clerk Of one class can DO as well performed by
q clerk OF a lower class or Dy female clerk,
1t shall be lawful for him to diminish the
number OF clerks Of the lower grade within
the limit OF the total appropriation for such
clerical service: Provided, that In making any
reduction OF force in any OF the Executive Do
parimeDts the head Of such Department shall
retain those Eperson5 who may DO equally
qualified who have been honorably discharged
from the military or naval service OF the
| United States, and the widows and orphans Of
| deceased soldiers and sailors.
Tho members OF the commission arc all
| of the opinion that radical changes In the
| system of transmitting business may be
profitably made, and that the force may be
materially reduced without detriment to
tho service. It is supposed that the most
extensive changes will BIO in the methods
| of transacting customs business. The do
| fects in tho Treasury system are regarded
as resulting from the fact that tho oxpau-
sion of the Department has been in ODE
dionce to the demands Of increasing bust
ness in particular branches instead of being
| in conformity with q comprehensive scheme.
cation of work and caused a necessity for
| n reassignment of duties and rearrange
| ment of business There are some I'm
| portant bureaus in which no changes are
| likely to DO made. IL is understood that
| the scope of the commission will be un-
limited. The removal of some officers In
high places may DO recommended and in
some instances tho promotion of subordi-
mates upon whom the duties and responsi
bilities of superior positions have devolved
will be urged.
The clerical forces will be scrutinized as
far as possible and rearTauged with refer
ence to efficiency and with view to see
ing whore the work of clerks of higher
could be performed by those of lower grades.
The commission has not fully determined
upon the manner in which they will pro-
coed, but will probably begin with the
matters in which they believe the greatest
and most immediate changes to be neces-
sary. They will report to the Secretary
as rapidly as conclusions are reached.
There lisa universal feeling Of satisfsc-
ton with the commission. 1t Is regarded
as the fairest and most competent that could
have been selected, aud it is generally con-
coded that its recommendations will be
| accepted without question. The commits
sion will lose no time in getting to work.
| Tho belief is generally expressed tnat the
| Treasury Department Is to set the example
| and lead in Civil.Service reform move
ments. 1t is probable that the other De-
partments will follow the course adopted
by Secretary Manning yesterday.
In the Interior and Postoftice Depart
ments the greatest necessity for revision
of the methods of transacting business is
supposed to exist. Secretaries Endicott and
Whitney have already taken steps to in
form themselves as to the efficiency of their
officials and the workings of their depart
ments. The State Department is perhaps
the only one in which no steps toward re-
arrangement Of business or reduction OF
force have been taken. The comparatively
small force and the systematic performance
Of work virtually exempt that Department
from such an Investigation.