New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-04
END OF DOCKERY REFORMS.
A H1GH-PRICED AND UNSATISFACTORY
COMMISSION.

COMMISSION.
NOT MUCH SAVING OF MONEY EFFEcrEp-oNLY
REPUBLICAN CLERKS DISCHARGED AND
nrvocp,rs pRoMoTED-TIIE PRINTING
OF VALUABLE BOOK DIscoN-
INSTRUMENTATION" STILL
TIE ORDER OF THE DAY
CIVIL SERVICE RE
FORM CAST TO
THE WINDS.
Wasbinc,on May ? (spcca0.-rhe Joint commit
tee of Congress known as the Dockery Commits
sion Amounted TO reform the business ihethous W
the executive departments OF the Goverhme"'' eN
pired by Limitation with the Lila congress ne
sphere OF operations was confined almost exclusively
70 tho Treasury Department. 50 that the other ue-
partmcrts escaped serious 'nrod's al" ''"0'"
lions in the way OF so-callcd reforms
one OF the EXPERTS employed by the commission
,Mr. ScD vas continued hy apeciai provision
in the last Legislative Apporiionment act as sort
OF admin isifator. to wind ny ne reform business
IN the Treasury. His final report has been SUD
mit,od to the Secretary. In q synopsis prepared by
the Treasury Department and 'urnshed 10 inc
press IL was stated:
The present system OF keeping accounts VII pc
adequate so iong as II reinains me po' aSnroora
ions pror TO their leaving the hands OF discussing
officers, expenditures In the ftat'n'rr ;" s re-
Department Thcs" appropriations eenrraIN are
not available after three years. and Nj S'IIS rom
mcnds that statements o, balances on p'rSohai &C
counts should bc hrnugh; together an" nihu' az,
nualy. as OF date three years before nero are
many balances that c,rno, be collected. Congress
should authorize The Secretary o. me treasury ~
have entries made closing out such accounts as III
his Judgment cannot he collected 30 one account
such accounts should not b. Closed ,ui atrr IMAM
nuay The books could be kept in one room IN.
stoad of two as al present; the rNp"rt say INA
a saving Of orc principal bookkce9cr at WI" ana
one messenger a. $50 ~ 49,, d.
sion offices should be brought forward on one 50 /,
~ lclrcrs for each series that are current. ana
ola accounts ~ another SGT. by this arrangement;
10 and tho SALARY OF one fii- clsTk saI'd' ,,.o-
Statements %: debts and credits i'r ne auditor
should he made rom tho ledger on which such
charges are 20 be found. and not from IN" mono
ti,neI TINS would dispense win the need for hn-
other Sl.f" clerk making the total SAVING proposed
me saemcp' should Include debts and c1ei,is
for ne l~Iioi 'or "ilS tn rn" nsrio5s so maj
the auditors settlement viii cover exactly wha ~
ne frcan,nily misleading statement Of differences
ly auditors. IN which Ishurs'ns oihc"rs are SHOWN
f. be- fnd,btcI q tho Government much more than
In conclusion Nj sells recommends that record
o. al Expenditures shoull be- kept. aggregated 70
in any appropriation the account OF "NIenii'il" -
Tor any years series o. years, and FOR any time
since ~, establishment OF the Government ca"
Dee turned - readily ,,..-.. ,...,
mission and iis Experts IN the matter Of reforming
tho business methods ~ m" Government
None Of the recommendations made by Mr. Sells.
except ihc last is OF special Interest H. undertakes
t. chow that here and there N.-o or $40 clerk
may boz luppel of by the adoption % hia recon
mcud4tion-. bat iais % show or explain what
amount of c.cr'i. force wll. boz required 10 carry
all Of his proposed measure. ~ rrf rm INTO effect
An o. official -'ll retained ln ihe department, sem
t'nuou-.y remarked concerning Mr Tr.lss recon-
mtniaulut. "Ns- 30 3, true That 'N' or ihir"
Clerks may possibly ho d'apers.i with in certain
branches u Dds scheme is carried ont bat ten Or
moro vii Doc most surely required in number ~
other places II BIS proposed plans "te adopted AMI
carried into execution
THIS ~ entirely Ia krepine With tho results at
toninnt up,u the changes adopted h7 'onsfru npon
The recommendation ~ tha mission. ana carried
into ,n,rf on October ! iasf iiy m- nholrnurni
If tAo Controllers Offices ant that Nf ihe commits
flnu,f ~ customs. number Of clerks AMI chiefs
n ly.ai,ns formerly required 900 these bureaus N'fe
dispensed Win. and ui' fat wHT constantly h'w
ia ,l,N 80 one ~ iho feature, ~ HuecerH attained
in tho nov measure Pow. however 'srcp' thone
who have watched ana closely r'ullcl ihe 'nc'' -
tNa .r,.e,llrl f'flfm m,aHuf". know nat conHll-
ofah'o Increase Of fufra m each department Other
than the Treasury has been made absolutely n"c"'
.,rv a., reason ~ thn "llmnleiraiiv" aullt' which
tho naw inw requires shall ho made in the f'y-
auditors IN tho Treasury Department for nnhl cN-
animation ana settlement
very considerable incrcase In clerical fore" for
,hn B.plrfm.n, 81 Justice hal 20 be granted IN tho
Urgent Deficiency bill passed early In the last Sos
sion OF Congress, In order 20 enable mat Depart
uorf - effect the preliminary "Namnhtl'h or
administrative audit" - the juiicia! accounts
which come - that department In the first instance"
q. required bv the new law The same viii bc re-
olirc! for Ike reasons I'm each of the departments
where this administrative acdi'' must be mhl"
But even the auditors ia the Treasury nav" h'S"n
- ask for an increased force. and on" nj i'aS r."
cured a handsome augmentation OF his clerical force
a, the last session Of Congress. These facts demon
sirafe that no saving IN money can be ehec'eh Nv
tho Dockcry reforms. Mr. Dockery TO the contrary
Notwithstanding. The experts were frank enough
In ,hoir renoris % cay that they did not aim AT or
cxpcc, to reduce the expenses but to institute bet
ter methods
EXPERTS COME HIGH.
Il might be paronthcticay noted that the OK