The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-03-25
NATIONAL AFFAIRS.
Chtefs OF BareHus Reporting Names of
Persons That Are Not Needed.
Special to TIE Sentinel.

VASTLY roN, March 23.-Nery little dlth-
Guilty will be encountered by Secretary
Eanning's committee in finding many
superaEoUs positions in the Treasury De-
psrtrisnt. No sooner did the Secretary an
noUuce bis determination to reduce the force
thar the chiefs of divisions began looking
s-oGnd snd reporting the names of men who
were not needed. It is tssated that about
One-third OF the positions now flied in ths
department can be abolished according to
the information furnished by chiefs of di-
visions.
1t is wonderful how these chiefs CONFORM
to the Wizhes of the powers that be. Three
months ago your correspondent mads 4 tour
of the Treasury Department and suggested TO
about half OF the chiefs that it was proposed
by the incoming party 10 make vacancies
by reductions Of the forces. Not one of them
was there but that declared there was not q
single person employed there whose services
could be dispensed with. They all said the
woIk was far behind and tbs force too small.
Now they assume the opposite position and
pcint out scores Of employees who do moth
ing, and who can be disposed Of Just ss we'll as
not. 1t makes slI the difference in The world
whose OK is gOred
This new turn of the chiefs in the Treasury
has brought tons Of maledictions upon their
heads. They are cursed, cnffsd, kicked and
banded about like footballs around politi-
cal centers, not receiving the respect OF any
party. Not sll the chiefs are guilty of this
despiosble duplicity, treschery and syco-
phancy, but most of them ara. The Rspub-
hcsns are congratnlasIng themselves that
some good may come of the change OF admin
istrAtion in cleaning OF the ships barnscles.
Special 20 the Sentinel.
WAsHIseToN, March 23.-Captain ads, OF
jetiy and ship-esnal fame, is a man of mon
umeDtal gall. He has FOR years had q grip
on the Improvements of the Mississippi
River that vss. simply astonishing. He
came in for local and general improvements
to the complete exclusion OF men who lived
at the point where the work was
to be done. And what was still
mere astonishing he obtained by soa,e
mesns or other the inausnce OF men,
beTs and Senators in his competition with
residents Of their own districts instance
the bill to give him q s., 500, 900 contract on
the Galveston harbor in The last Congress,
which was supported by the Galveston aud
other Texas members, against the bids of men
living in that State. Surely he has proved
himself all powerful, and continues his au-
dacious propositions for continuing work
for the Government, notwithstanding the
fact that be is receiving princsly salary for
-
issippi.
This man Esds, it appears, has taken it
into his head that the American people have
come to the almost unanimous conclusion
that he is the enly man who can CON-
pass the needs OF tie country in i'm.
proving her waterways 1t is now stated
in neEspaIe er circles here that be propo.es
TO satisfy the small minority that he is sc.
tually indispensable, and has put money in
the recently-purchssed National Republican
for the purpose of expounding the necessary
conclusive argument.
Captain Esds 81 ways turns up at the fret
session Of Congress, no matter il il fiads
him in the uttermost part Of the world, and
proposes schemes new for distributing mill
ions Of the surplus dollars. It is the won
der nov what scheme he has in mind,
Special agents Require No Civil Service
Examination.
Special 20 the Sentinel.
WAsHIEGToN, March 23.-"The special
SCENTS march will be played in few days
in all of the departments" observed an
Auditor to. day. The order for the dismissal
of twenty special agents from the Possofice
Department" continued the able Auditor,
''is only to see how the thing works. Few
of them will be retained in any depart
ment"
VIII it no: impair the service to dismiss
sc many Ct these old and experienced men
at one time ?'' asked.
''Nc, because they operate almost wholly
under instructions from the departments.
If experiences is any good 1t will be dis-
trfbuted through the Chiefs who give in
structions. OF courss some of the old men
will be retained, on account of their excel.
lent work, and through the interposition of
influential Democratic friends, but it is my
judgment that not more than one in ten
will be in their places q six-month hence"
IS not the special agents roll too large In
most of the Departmental"
ayes, and they have been made too large
ty the demagogues in the House and Senate,
Who howl over it every year when the ap-
preparation bills are up They come to the
departments and ask to have this friend and
that one put in somewhere without civil
service examination. Well, of course, the
special agents roll is the only place they
can go On, and there they go, until the list
is sbnormally large. Half of the special
agents are suPsrRuous, and the dismissals
that are occurring are for the parpose of
making vacancies which will not be filed"
differentiation OF Goods and Consular and
Diplomatic Mails.
Special to the Sentinel.
WAsHIssToS, March p 1t is said that one
of the first steps Secretary Manning proposes
10 take in the way Of reform viii be toward
the management of the customs districts, and
looking after undervaluations aud
the loose manner Of sgents who inspect the
luggage of outgoing passengers at foreign
ports. It is said that millions OF dollars
worth Of goods are brought to this country