The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-11-01
THE B0ND SYSTEM UNJUST.
Government Omcials Not Placed Upon an
Equal Footing.

WASHINGTON, j. c., oct 3i.-Some
Of the Treasury Department officials
have been making interesting discoveries
in the method Of bonding public officers.
IL is found that 1O6O0J officers are under
bond 10 the Government. ;he amount in
vowed being more than NG3,0j5,O0D. Most
OF these oniccrs. lOiO1) I'm number. are
pOstmasters. There are 2lj under the
| Treasury Department. being such Off
cials as collectors of customs and sur
vcyCrs There are 2gl officers under the
War Department, including paymasters,
quartermasters. and surgeons, 2yS Ia the
Navy Department 500 under tho Interior
Department, and 500 under the other de-
partmcnts.
one Cf the cufl0sities OF law IS that no
army engineer officer is under JOhi. The
eight army surgeons give bonds amount
ing TO $4,000 while the engineer officers,
who handle millions of dollars for river
and harbor work. deal directly with con-
tractors and make d.sbur 'mcnts without
giving the Government any security other
than their oath as army officers. IT is
very likely that an effort viii be made
10y Secretary Caslisle to place engineer
officers under bond. The eight army sur
pcOns. for instance. who are under bond
do not in one year disburse the sum OF
money equal TO that paid out for river
and harhor work by the engineer officer
stationed at such "A place as Boston, New
York. or Philadelphia.
The army officers who are stationed AT
military schools and who are responsible
for secondhand guns and small guam
tity of ammunition give bonds amounting
TO more than S,0lD0lO. The disbursing
clerk i'm the Navy Department. through
whose hands pass the vast sums paid out
for arm0r. warships. and gun forgings,
furnishes a bond OF but $1,000 The head
Of the Government Hospital for the In
sane, near Washington, who has the dis
bursing OF AN annual sum for supplies for
the patients AT that Institution, furnishes
bond of $4,000. The hfty-one army quar-
termasters who handle funds. give bonds
amounting go nearly Sl5WOl0. while the
engineer officers in the same service, who
handle sums greatly I'm excess Of that dis
hursed by the quartermasters. are un-
hamperod by any such protection TO the
Government lt is not known just why
this neglect has continued for 80 many
years. Fortunately. there have been few
failures among engineer officers 10 proper
ly account for public funds placed in their
custody.
Another curious feature of the custom IS
the lack of provision for the regular
examination OF bonds. TO determine whoth-
81 tho amount is sufficient or the sureties
solvent. except iu one instance. that OF
the paymasters of the army. the law re-
during that they DE renewed each four
years or oftener by the order of the
President, Many of the bonds on
file i'm the Auditors Office have
been I'm force from ten 10 fifteen years.
and some even longer. without any evil
dence that any examination has ever been
made of them or amy attention paid 10
the question Of security.
Stin another pecularitv Of the law IS
the fact that officers are bonded without
regard for the responsibility or risk in
CURED mus, the Asgstant Treasurer
I'm New York is bonded FOR $4,000. while
the Treasurer IN Washington is bonded
for $4,000 If the amounts involved IN
their respective offices were considered.
the amounts Of the bonds should be re-
Vcrsod. but as matter OF fact. neither
Of these officials could get away with any
money of the Government. They would
have as much trouble in actual defalca-
tion as Secretary Carlisle himself
II has been suggested that q regular
scale of bonds for subordinate empioVs
De adopted. so as TO relieve leading oHl-
cials OF financial responsibility for the
dishonesty of employees The postmaster
al New York gives bond Of S0.e00. while
a subordinate employe may commit an
offence beyond the posimaster's powers
to prevent. and for which the latter's
bondsmcn must be uniustly held account
able
The department is also in favor Of dis
continuing personal bonds and substitut-
ing therefor the bonds OF trust companies.
organized 10 do this character OF bus'-
ness. Of which there are several very re-
liable and prosperous concerns IN the
leading cities This substitution is esti-
mated TO result I'm the annual saving rs
the Government Of about S7o,eo-New
York Times