The evening times., 1900-10-02
NO PUBLIC CEREMONY.
Dedication of the Government Build
Ings on Ellis Island.


There will be no set ceremonies when
the new Government buildings on Ellis
Island are turned over 10 the Government.
Commiss ioner of immigration Fitchie has
written 20 Assistant Secretary Taylor, of
the Treasury Department, on this subject
and that is Mr. Taylor's answer.
The immigration officials in New York
had been encouraged to believe that they
would be on this occasion the hosts Of the
President of the United States. the MEM
bers of his Cabinet, the whole Diplomatic
Corps of Washington, and members of the
Senate and House of Representatives
Since last winter this junket had been
planned in the minds of the New York
immigration officers. and to be paid for
out of the large immigration fund balance
OF nearly 100000 which has accumulated
during the last fiscal year.
1t was argued by the promoters of the
entertainment project that part of the
one dollar per head tax on the four hun
dred thousand. more or less, new citi-
zens, who had come into the county In
the past year might be expended in no
better way than in showing the diplomatic
represent tatiyes of foreign countries send
ing their surplus population here, how
Americans entertain" and incidentally Of
! ficiai Washington. The celebration was
TO be aided by special trains to New York
ana return, velvet carpets down the dock
to Government boats, pate de fol gras, and
other luxuries
AS the time approached for this ceIe-
bratton, Assistant Secretary Taylor was
! SO beset by the wouid-be hosts in New
YORK TO DegIn arrangements for the out
ing" that he decided before going ahead.
| to ask the Comptroller of the Treasury
whether be would allow the bills TO be
paid out OF the Treasury" 1t proved that
this was a very wise move on the part
of Mr.. Taylor. for his short letter to Mr..
TraceweH the Comptroller. will save the
wouId-be hosts the bother of giving the
| entertainment" and also a good portion
of their next years salary
1t was q former President who said,
! the Comptroller of the Treasury has no
superior officer except the Almighty" The
| Comptroller occupies a little stufy Office
| up on the second floor OF the Treasury,
! where he sits surrounded by books from
which he quotes daily the law of the land
I in his replies to just such letters as Mr..
/ Taylor wrote him on this occasion Now
/ while Congress appropriated the money to
| build the new Ellis Island structures,
! through an oversight, or otherwise, it
! failed in anticipating the hospitabie pro-
! clivities of the gentlemen in charge Of the
| barge office. so Mr.. Tracewell was un-
! able to find anything in the books, by
I which he is surrounded that said Auditor
| of the Treasury Department might pass
/ the accounts Of such '1junket" 10 Ellis
] Island.
! Assistant Secretary Taylor, in writing
to Mr.. Fitchie today explained all this,
| and said that he presumed under the cir
! cumstances Mr.. Fitchie would consider he
had done all ne could be expected to do.
] Mr.. Taylor today directed the Super
/ yising Architects office to send an in
! spectCr to New York 10 look over the
new buildings and report whether the
/ contractors had done their duty il putting
up the structures. II they have the Gov
ernment will take charge OF the buildings
within a few days without any elaborate
! dedication exercises.