Evening star., 1902-03-07
Mr.. Jas. T. Dubois Statement
Before House Committee.
REFORMS MUCH NEEDED
LARGE PER CENT OF FOREIGNERS
IN OUR OFFICES ABROAD.
The Pernicious Fee System-An Ex-
ample of the Possible Saving
to the Government.

Mr.. James T. Du Bois, who was Ameri-
can consul general at St. Gall, Switzerland
from 1897 to 1901 Is probably as well quail
fled through study and experience to pass
judgment on our consular service as any
man in this country. His views as pre-
sented to the committee on foreign af-
fairs of the House Of Representatives at
its. recent hearings on this subject will,
therefore. attract wide attention, both in
and out Of Congress. In his statement
which has just been made public, Mr.
Du Bois says:
"To every intelligent consular officer
who has spent sufficient time in the ser
vice to become conversant with it's faults
| and strong points, it must be apparent
that reorganization Of the service on
broad lines has become necessary in or
der to obtain the best results.
There are two features necessary to
any bill aiming at proper reorganiza-
ton of the present system which may re-
ceive some earnest opposition One is the
increase of salaries; the other a civil
service feature something like that con-
tatned in both bills now before the COM
| mittee, which should be on the most prac-
tical possible basis.
The increase in salaries proposed by the
Burton-Lodge bill is just adequate and
urgent. BY this increase you will do away
with the unofficial fee system, which has
pernicious influence on correct admins
tratfen of consular affairs, and place the
2SS principal consular offices, proposed, on
salaried basis that will not only help the
government to secure firSt-clasS consular
talent but will enable capable men of
limited means to occupy these positions.
The present consular salaries will not per-
| NIT this in 20 per cent of the places, al
though 1 know that there are plenty of
| men willing to try. The government can
fn hoy nh in,
vice where there is SO much important
work to perform
THE civil service feature of both bills
will have opponents. Men will oppose it
who are fearful that it may create and
protect a sO-called dry rot in the consular
corps. l am not in favor Of a cut-and
dried civil service, but one based upon the
merit Of the man more than upon the
merit Of the mind, for the latter would
give us corps Of educated and gentle
manly theorists as little capable Of dis
charging the practical duties Of a consul
as they would be Of charging up San Juan
Hill on the goSSamer wings of butterfly.
There should be firm opposition to any
system that will put Indifferent men in the
service and help to keep them there. What
We need is civil service for the consular
corps that will obtain useful work and
clean records from the incumbents. Where
this result is not obtained the law should
make 1t easy to remove the derelict and
put a well-disciplined soldier of commerce
In his place.
Permanent Tenure.
1.-The consular officers of all the great
powers especially of England, Germany
and the United States, are the soldiers of
commerce. stationed as outposts and
scouts. and in the irrepressible conflict for
the mastery Of the marts Of trade will, in
the future, have increasing and important
duties to perform. In this respect the
American consular corps has already won
high commendatOn. but those who know
by real experience know we'll that there is
room for great improvement. For this rea-
son there is no department Of the govern
ment where a commOn-sense civil service
would operate to better advantage, and
tend to more useful results, than in the
consular branch Of our foreign affairs
The chambers Of commerce and the boards
of trade, made up Of practical business
men who have their hands constantly upon
the pulse Of foreign trade, are conscious
of this fact and are earnestly urging our
legislators to make 1t possible to get the
best men in the service and protect them
against partisan removal, which comes in
the change of every administration and
disorganiZes the service and paralyZes it's
usefulness to a degree that is but little
understood. All Intelligent and successful
Consuls Of my acquaintance, who are now
ill., or have been in the SERVICE are in favor
of a permanent tenure based on useful ad-
ministration of Office. Equal sympathy and
interest by your honorable committee will
make almost certain a successful issue Of
this cause.
reorganZe the consular system with
civil service clause attached, there is an
other course, not as safe nor as just, but
a course which will be one long step for
ward. If your committee will so frame a
law as to unmake the pernicious unofficial
fee system, give the cCnsuls adequate SAL
aries. put Americans In the 567 vice con-
sulships, consular agencies and clerkshps
| now occupied by foreigners, most of whom
have no sympathy with our foreign or do
mestic policies but who stand as a Chinese
wall against our advancing commerce,
| great result will have been accomplished.
But in doing this you should not forget the
| most important thing of all. and that is to
| SO frame the law that every consul who
! makes a useful record will be shielded
| against the common practice Of being re-
moved like an outcast upon the change of
an administration.
OBJECTIONS will be made to an increase
| OF salaries To those who object respect
| fully submit that one consul in one year
helps to save enough to pay the total ex-
pense Of the consular service for one year
Example of Saving.
"In 1890 the total expense was $1,O73,-
| 531. %. In the same year the saving to the
| revenue on st. Gall embroideries, laces
| handkerchiefs. curtains and ramsch goods
| by the consul general. sustained by the
appraising department in New York, was
| over 100000. which 1 will prove to the
committee at any time have the honor Of
being requested to do SO. The following
letter, bearing date Of June 27, 1899, from
| the Secretary Of the Treasury to the Sec
| retary of State, In measure sustains the
| above statement:
' Sir: have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of your letter Of the 21st in
slant, transmitting extract from a re-
port dated the 31st utfmO from the United
States consul general at st. Gall. Switzer-
| land, relating to the invoicing Of embroid-
cries and the diminution in the undervalu-
ations Of that commodity shipped to this
| country.
1.-The department has received a report,
dated the 10th instant, from Special Agent
G. F. Cross of New York, stating that the
| increased and additional duties collected at
the port Of New York on embroideries from
| st. Gall since the investigation of the sub
| ject was instituted about year ago,
amounted to $1A. A.867.63. The increase in
| the revenue on this class of merchandise is
estimated by the appraiser at New York to
amount to more than $500. 900 year. This
result is very largely due to the most eff