The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1901-07-31
THE CONSULAR SERVICE PROB
LEM.


LEM.
New York Tribune.
The resent announcement; from Wash
ington that James c. stowe. United
States Coasul-General al Cape Town,
has surrendered that office because Of
i;s mad equate salary calls attention
afresh to he essential happy-go-lucky
character Of our consular system. Mr.,
Stoves experience al Cape Town seems
to have parallelei that Of Adelbert :.
Hay a; Pretoria, and OF many other
American consuls who have found
themselves overwhelmed by unexpected
demands at posts whose salary ratings
showed 200 plainly the earmarks Of
pennywise economy. With the 5000 in
come which his Office assured Mr. Stowe
could 10, begin 20 NEE; the expenses
of life at Cape Colony, which are report
ed 10 nave doubled since the outbreak
q the Boer war. Neither ould he re-
spond to the many calls for assistance
which have come from every quarter
as the privations and miSs-ies tntailed
by that war have steadily increased.
The state department., under existing
law, has no fund on which a consul can
draw for emergency expenses, and no
allowance can be made IN auditing his
scounts for conditions. however una
voidable. which burdened him with ex-
pend'uras beyond the ordinary rquire-
men;s OF his post, and still further re-
yond its annual salary. That 10 such
fund IS available Is unfortunate; for its
non-exis;ance not lnfrequenfiy eompels
designations, as in Mr.. Stoves case, or
entails hariships which it is neither JUS. ,,
noi generous on the governments part
to ask a consul retaining cfic4 to bear.
I, is. perhaps, expecting too much to
look fo- a radical reorganization Of the
consular service FOR several years 70
come. A permanent consular corps,
with fixed grades and a system OF pro-
motions for efficiency, is the goal Of
,hoss who are endeavorlng 20 persuade !
congress to take the consular service
ou: Of politics. and to make it an agency, !
Dug4 and simple. for the extension of
American trade. But the attainment Of
mat goal is still an lppreciabl. distance
n: for few congresses 60 further now
alays than to Listen politely. but seepd-
cany 10 such appeals as are presented |
for consular reform. The present sys-
ten 1f appointments, tenure and pro-
motions has worked well enough, indeed, f.
10 stand more or less In he light 4 any .
reorganization whicn is 10 sweep it
away. For although perhaps half cur
consulates are now filled by men who
have sought them primarily as rewards .
for political activity, and wh0 lack the /
trained efficiency which a gradual rise |
from the lower grades would insure, the
other half can boast incumbents Il per-
haps greater capacity and experience
han woul1 be attracted 70 the service
az a settled and permanent career
OF the average capaci:y Of the present
consular corps. as well as Of its markell
be:terment in the last decade or two
there can be no question, and this in
crease in efficiency is likely TO be main
aimed, as the work done by the consular
service grows n volume and import
a3ce. Greater stability Of tenure .s TO
be desired, however, and whether or not
&, shall go to the length or radically re-
organizing the system congress ought
AT least to recognize the broadened du-
ues anI functions which 50 many Am
4ican consuls nave now TO discharge
compared with those they discharged
ten or twenty years ago, and ought 10
give them salaries commensurate with
the increased responsibilities and bur
isns they have been called on to assume