The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-06-22

prospect OF returning to the United States
broken down in health, united to resume
OF further employment at the hands OF
the Government
His e1ceIlency. the Chinese Minister, In
a recebti address before the University of
Pennsylvania. said:
Most European governments send young
men to the Easc to learn the language and
study the customs OF the country. After
residence nf-tEo or three years. when
they have pro led themselves proficient.
after a strict examination, they are then
placed in responsible positions as student
interprete1s: consular assistants, etc.
Merit Isl awarded by promotion. Thus
those Goyetrments have competent men
specially fitted for service in the Orient.
1t might not be unwise for your Govern
ment to adopt & similar system
Assistshe Secretary RockhiII, in an ar
ticle in the Forum for the month Of Feb
ruary. 1897. sums up the evils of our con-
sular system as follows:
Imperfect mode OF selection OF consular
officers; mo permanency OF tenure; made
quate compensation. resulting IN the ex-
action OF excessive fees and the creation
Of consular agencies to increase salaries:
excessive number OF fee consulates and
commercial agencies: imperfect enforce
ment of regulations. especially as regards
amounts Of fees and their collection"
Low Salaries Prevail.
The Consular Service of the United
States was established by the acts Of July
81, 1883 and July l. 1890. and it is a curl
ors fact that during the entire century Of
our country's development, com
mercially, since, this service Of
our Government has received but scant at
tention at the hands Of Congress. Except
in the few instances where personal infu-
ence and favoritism at Washington have
enabled an individual consul TO secure an
advance in the amount of his salary, the
consular salary remains substantially as
il was fixed in 1856. and for all the neceS-
sary expenses of living in foreign coun-
tries 81 would reach as far then as three
times that sum can do now. Many con-
sulates that were important thirty years
ago have lost much Of their consequences
with the decaying OF our merchant marine
or the changed currents Of international
trade. while many others that were then
| obscure have become more important so
as to require frst-class men to administer
| them in the proper manner.
The shipping statute CT 1883 swept away
the whole schedule Of fees for services to
American vessels, which. up TO that time
had been a lucrative emOlument to the
cOnsuls, and little OF nothing has since
been given to them in compensation for
their loss.
The Consul at MOntevideo has a salary
Of $1,000. with Official fees OF 1922, showing
the amount Of business done at the Office,
while the Consul at Stettin, in Germany,
has a salary Of $1,000. with fees Of 81. 1872.
| showing the much larger business trans
acted at that consulate. SO, also, at
Demerara. British Guiana. the consul has a
salary of $4,000. though the official fees
amounted 10 only S637; while at Leipzig,
where the official fees amounted to 5,5IS,
the salary was only $1,000.
The Consul at Nuremberg. Germany.
city Of 100. coo inhabitants. has salary Of
$4,000, while the Consul at Munich. the
capital OF Bavaria, with 4O5, 900 Inhabitants.
has salary of 81, 600.
CnnsuIs shnrId L. Tn Id