The Washington herald., 1908-06-15

There will be a complete reorganiza-
ton Of the United States consular service
on July l. when the act passed at the last
session Of Congress goes into effect, pro-
viding for a readiustment OF the service
TO meet modern requirements.
Twenty-eight Offices will be closed,
seventeen new Offices will be estab-
Hshed, seven Offices will be transferred,
and there will also be about a dozen in
creases in salary. Most Of these salary
increases will be paid from the appropria-
ton saved by the abandonment Of the
cOlsulates The consuls whose Offices are
closed will be transferred TO other posts.
Out OF the twenty-eight offices to be
closed. nine are located in Germany, nine
in Canada. and the other ten are scat
tered over the rest Of the world. The
German consulates 10 be abandoned arc
located. at Annaberg, Ramberg, Crefeld,
Dusseldorf Eibenstock, FreibuTg, Glau-
chau, Mainz and littau. while the Cana
dian posts TO be closed are Belleville.
Port Hope. Port Rowan. COatlcook.
Gaspe. St. Hyacinthe, Three Rivers
Windsor and Woodstock. The other
posts 10 be discontinued are Lucerne, 81.
Christopher, Jalapa, Castellamare di sta
bia, Catania, Utila, Funchal. Port Stan
lev, Antigua. and jamestown.
The consular office in Syria will be
transferred from Alexandretta to Mer-
sine; that at Colllngwood, Ontario TO
owen Sound: that at la Rochelle, France
10 Cognac The post at Pretoria, in
South Africa, viii be moved 90 Johannes
burg The consulate at san Juan del
Norte. Nicaragua. will be changed TO
Bluehelds. and that at Tuxpam. Mexico
to Salina Cruz. Erfurt. Germany, is con-
sidered a better consular location than
Weimar. and the consulate at the latter
place viii be moved accordingly.
New offices 20 BE Opened.
New consulates will be established at
the following places: Aleppo, Alexandria.
Antung. Corinto. Fernie Fiume. From
terra. Guadalajara. Karachi Madras
Punta Arenas, Rangoon, Salonild, san
Luis Potosi Swatow Tapachula. and
Tripoli
These changes are made because re-
distribution Of the various posts is neces-
sary to properly protect the interests Of
American manufacturers abroad. In some
instances the posts abolished have for the
last several years not only not been pay
ing expenses, but some have actually been
carried on the list at dead loss OF sew
eral thousand dollars.
Take the consulate at jamestown. on
the Island Of ST Helena. for instance
This office costs $40 year while the
services the consul is called upon 10
perform are practically nil. Only $l6 was
received I'm fees last year. The United
state is the only greAt power now main
tanning an Office there. and rs closing
viii result i'm no injury whatever 10
American trade.
IN this connection IL is interesting TO
mote that in the last twenty-four years
the excess Of expenditures has amounted
to SzZ1,214 while the excess Of receipts
in the same years has totaled N62.279
This makes the actual cost Of the con-
sular service during that period amount
to tc.1oS.95i. or an average cost Of SS7.S72
a year.
Many Established Long Ago.
Many OF tho consulates 20 be abolished
were established years ago for reasons
which were regarded as sufficient at that
time but which no longer exist. At one
time the law required that an exporter
70 the United States of dutiable goods
must appear in person b-fore a consul
and make oath TO the correctness of his
invoices and at the solicitation Of such
exporters and Of importers and trade
bodies in the United States and abroad.
because OF the Inconvenience to shippers
in being obliged to appear At distant
towns with their invoices. consulates were
established at many places where there
were practically no other reasons for
maintaining a consulate
Under the present laws and regulations.
however. the personal appearance OF the
shipper is not required. but the in
voices may be sent to the consulate by
messenger or by mail and thus the multi
plicity Of consulates at towns but a few
miles apart is no longer necessary or
desirable. Consulates were also estab-
lished az towns which at the time had
some Importance from q consular stand
point as at Gaspe. Quebec. once a thriv-
ing center Of fishing interests but now
an unimportant and remote village
Other consulates were established with
out reasons apparent 70 the department.
as In the case OF Jalapa Mexico. which
was created without the recommendation
Of The department and for no reason