New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-06
EXPERTS SUGGEST REFORMS.
WAYS CT SIMPLIFYING DEPARTMENTAL
EOCkKEEPINj.
A RECOMMEND ALTON FOR THE ABOLITION OF
COMMISSIONERS OF CUSTOMS AND HE
NAVAL OFFICERS AZ ALL POTTS
EXCEPT NEw-YOHk.
rrv rrrrGgAru 10 THE TRiBryK.1

EXCEPT NEw-YOEK
Try TELEGRAPH TO THE TgBrTK1
Washington. Dec. 1.-THE experts emp'o'cu ~
the Joint commission to inquire mo 'iie '"c'"o'
Of doing business in the executive "ep" ''
in Washington are not making much noise m pun
lie but they are doing good dcai Oh Naicao'e
work and the judgment OF the COMMISSION as
we'll os of Congress- may already be said TO nave
been indicated In these dispatches recently :.
| summary OF the facts relating to the results VI
the Investigation OF the office OF the Sixth Hun'-
tor Of the Treasury Department was given. Inc
EXPERTS have lately completed their inquiry mo
the methods used in the auditing OF accounts OF
collectors OF customs. and have submitted 10 the
commission a report which Is said to De as III
portant as II is interesting.
II is understood that the report reconlHleniS INC
abolition OF the office Of Commissioner OF customs
1 ,h ,ropseor Of the duties to the First Auditor.
avid also Of the office of Naval Officer at all ports
cxcent New-York THE Official Register SHOWS
that there are six officers who bear TINS tue sla
toned at the ports Of New-iork. boston, in''h-
delphia San Francisco. Baltimore. ana New
| orleans The chief duty OF these officers IL 10
check the returns OF collectors OF customs anu
transmit them 10 the First Auditor. who atter
| examining them sends them to the Commissioner
| of Customs whose decisions are final oriSlna'
papers are not sent by the Naval Officer to WASH
| ncton so that ho is virtually the treasury au''-
tor for his port.
y
NJ all the customs is collected. and all except about
si6WOOOo was taken in at New-fork last !e"'
| At the port Of Chicago. where there IS 10 N"s"'
officer the amount received from customs duties
during the year ended June 80. 1896, was more IMAM
81 200 600 which was about 100000 more IMAM III
San Francisco twice as much as at 'ai'ii'oie
and six times as much rs ut New-Oreans'
II is scf-cvident that II a Naval Officer Is neeuei
at San Francisco baltimore or Ne"-or!eaIhhd, cn.
necessity Of his services Is much grea,er at hmnJsni
,.rft.a arnCr a in
its resources. would rot hesitate tor an L,S, sum
Top from It's now eSpended for salaries
Of This sort There IS probably good reason why,
tt se score S Of celerity naval officer should be
retained The por: of New-York where reS apep
making a volume OF business that might become
9be cost Of Standardization Of tho office, referred
10 is more than $1,000 year In saarls,.; 70 ~ ~
nothing OF heavy incidental expem"s'' as created
in 1919 il was possibly the intention 10 clothe II
with certain OF hsnn os sigh Of or
abandoned since that time. and the oi'icr mas SUN
mrre in f,c,~slacc tho Customs Division IN the
Office OF the Secretary Of the Treasury WI
ished and an Assistant Secretary was iuthoIiHeu
IN oversee it's work which now claims the servIceS
OF sixteen persons. And yet the 'oh'hlsslon.i y" ~
non ho Collected more than ,2G00o00 81 customs
revenue last year In that sense, me ono" i'lEn'
The trouble with tha ihgory is iaat For
checks do not insure universal "'c' n, n,.
accounts involving 10000 0sv. that passed me CRY
cism ~ both the FRS; Auditor and the ConIns :
sinner OF customs several years ago. the amount
~ error was found 10 be- less than 50 ana NOR
man half OF the total was due to errors IN De-
keeulng-and the Commissiorer Of customs nad
n, fnfnd II necessary to make any changes III tHe
tg1lres OF the First Auditor 80
II Tho r.corn,non !ations which tho "ApertH are
unfer.tood to have made shall be adopted by con
craas tho yearly saviu. VIII amount - ABOUT
Sl20O0J Thcy may not BE- far rstray y tA'y nave
recommended the transfer OF the auditing oi .H+-
toms accounts to one ~ the AUDITORS win a
rIgh, nf appeal 10 one o. the Controllers OF the
Treastiry they PROBABLY discovered some time
ago that the main obstacle 20 me CELEBRITY oi tnc
,;nverument work IN Wa sh!nSion J. the mntipi-
cs,inn az unnecessary checks and the quaiIu-
nIiratjon Of work Tho clerks In the tarous Ok
ecutive departments are competent anu lnlusTi-
Gus az a rule but they are hammered ny ,hs M,
chnery Invented At different times by different
officers working Independently Of one another Inc
regulations OF department 10 not agree WIN y
those Of another and far as the Interpretation
~ law is concerned each head o. a department
IL "a Law unto himself" and the mifchef OF u y
that his Interpretation mus always be resp'ct"i
until overturned by IN" courts
n the joint commission AIDED 10y Us eNPrr,'
shall be able not only 10 induce Congress to pro
vide simpler and more economical mcthois hut 7!
bring about an agreement between the mead @,
departments IL viii have done great Work ana
earned the gratitude Of ne country!