Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1895-08-15
THE CONSULAR SERVICE.
Views Of Georgia Congressman on
Foreign Trade Relations.

Foreign Trade Relations.
Representative Livingstone OF
Georgia, member Of the house com
mittea on foreign affairs and appro-
priations, since his recent visit TO
Venezuela has become a convert to the
cause of consular reform, ana is now
anxious 20 help it 10y supporting legis-
lation ouch as was proposed by the
last congress, or the plan which Secre-
tary Olney is reported 10 be consider
ing for putting the consular service on
a business basis by executive action.
Representative Livingstone is quoted
as saying: THE contrast between the
average British consul anu the aver
age American consul Is so marked as
to be apparent even to the most
prejudced American who goes abroad.
The Englishman is constantly seeking
to divert trade to his country and to
secure the importation of English
goods He is business first, last and
all the time, and everything he does is
for the good of England. Our consuls
want society, and they sit around,
drawing their salaries. There are
some exceptions, OF course, and l am
not mentioning names. Ii we could
have our consuls appointed because
they are qualified, and If, after APP
pointment, they could be sure of pro-
motion for services rendered, We
would see the trade Of this country
increase wonderfully. Our consuls
would be alive to American CONNER
cial interests TO a degree which is not
now apparent, and | believe that, in
South America especially, we would be
able TO build up an enormous business
for American goods"
1t is the history of the state depart
ment that 90 per cent. of consuls are
changed with every administration.
The few wAo are retained either oc-
they are fortunate in having sufficient
influence with the incoming president
to remain undistuTbed. Frank ii.
Mason Of Ohio, who has been In the
service since 1899, and who is now con-
sui general at Frankfort, is generally
regarded as one of the best consular
officers in the service. 1t is doubtful,
however, whether this record would
have saved him from official decapita-
ton II he had not had good democratic
consul at Nuremburg since 1850, but
he Is a brother-in-law of Senator Gray
Of Delaware, while William r. Grin.
nell, consul at Manchester since 1889,
Is the brother-in-law of eX-Vice I'resi-
dent Morton. All these are good Of
ficials and by long acquaintance with
their duties have become especially
valuable. The consuls who have been
in office longer than four years, how
ever, can almost be counted on ten
fingers, and the retention of any con-
sui on account of his good record IS
extremely rare.
An attempt was made many years
ago, in The time of Secretary Seward,
to improve the consular service by the
appointment of consular clerks, with
the view of establishing a permanent
consular force by the promotion 81 the
clerks. As matter Of fact, the plan,
so far as it had that object in view,
has been complete failure. Not a
single consular clerk has ever been
made a consul. Ihere are now thir.
teen of them In the service, Joseph a.
Springer, of aine at Havana, and
Charles L. irion and Edward +.
MacIean, at Paris, have each been in
the service over twenty-five years,
and they receive today the princely
salary Of $1,000 year. When they
we're appointed they received $1,000.
Charles NJ. Wood has been at Rome
since 1873, and is said TO be better
equipped for the position of consul
than anybody who could be appointed,
ana he gets 81 200. The total absence
of promotion and the inadequate sal
airy would make it impossible to retain
the clerks, IL they had not, by their
long residence abroad, built up for
themselves a private business which
enables them to live. AT the same
time, not one of these clerks would ac-
cept consulate, because that very
act would place him in line for re-
moval, Boston Herald.