Weekly journal-miner., 1908-12-16


 that city. as Co the value of all kinds of pottery there manufactured Some minor details yet remain to bc settled hui ihe-c do not affect the harmonious results that have been achieved
 The report calls attention to the commission of which Assistant Sccrc. tHry James F.. Reynolds wa, the chair man which went abroad last year to discuss with German officials certain important matters affecting the pro. per administration of the customs
 laws and an agreement reached with that country contained provision that the Chamber of Commerce of that country should be entitled to fur. nish certificates of value of mere hand i~c manufactured or produced in their respective communities which should bc regarded by the apprasng officers ut the united states aS competent eVi- dcncc in the finding of value Tnis privilege was subsequently, extended to the Chamber of Commerce of other nations, and it was granted only after it was a-ccrtained that these organiln- t'ons were governmental in their character SO that in ease of careless ur false certificate of value being sent io this country by such an organiza- ton. it would bc possible t0 present the matter tO it's government for pro. per action. The treasury commission also made special study of these chambers of commerce in France, Austria Hungary and Great Britain. to determine just what would bc the competency of the evidence that was presented in case of disputed values. With view to greater expedition and hence less disturbance in business conditions incident to the enforcement of the pure food law, the Secretary during the year has arranged to do away in large measure with the ro. ference of each disputed case to Wash. ington and has left to the Chief local representative of the Treasury De partmcnt of Agriculture at the larger ports the disposition of all cases ex ccpt those of exceptional importance.
 The advantage of reducing to a mini. mum the transfer of gold between these fnancinl ccuterS of the world. the Secretary says has been often discuss. od. bat has not yet been the subject of niiifi1l action. Economy in such transfers as come nhunt auiomaticnllv from time to time by tho extension of 'hc system of bills of exchange and
 by the use of international credits. 1 hui di-'rust of these resources m time ut crisis, the very moment at which they are most needed invokcs n de-
 udnl for physical gold The three months of November and December. ' 1907, and January. 1908. witnessed Imports of gold into the United States to the amount of $lls,S22, ,s70 and on the other hand the three months of April. May and June. 1908. witnessed ! exports of gold from the United States Co tho amount of +i9,Gjs,972. For the twelve months ending October 3l. 1908 thc total imports of gold were sijO.. 23iu6i. and total exports s72 .j00. .JGi The Secretary says i; would seem that means might be devised to dimin. ish fine transfer of physical gold under these conditions. That credits or loans of gold might bc extended more generously than at present by one | nation to another in times of stress. was proposed soon after the crisis of year ago. It has been suggested ! that an international conference be called of representatives of the min. 1 istries of finance and of the great state hanks with n view to more prompt and effective co.operation in emergencies.
 The Secretary devotos considerable space tp the question of an economical disturbance to current receipts, and the classification of both receipts and disbursements in such n way ns tn Facilitate such an adjustment. and suggests that it would perhaps he competent tO Congress t0 vest in a joint committee the power of revising inc appropriations bills with n view to distributing reductions and m. ercascs in m equitable manner and also with . view to the relative i'm. portance of the object for which ap- preparations are sought. 1t would seem that such n committee should be charged with the responsibility of Keeping the expenditures of each yenr approximately within the revenue of the year, or, if this could not he done. that it should authorize the issue of n proper amount of short term obliga. tions t0 bridge over the deficit of lean years. By such committee needless and wastful expenditure might be checked
 The Secretary says that the present form of treasury statement Is in sey. cral respects misleading. It makes no separation between the expenditures for the ordinary service of the gov ernment, and those for permanent public works, like river and harbor improvements, public buildings and the Panama Canal. If these state. ments differentiated between the or dinary and the extraordinary expendi. lures the record for tho fiscal year 1908 would show ordinary receipts s60l ,I26,lls. Ordinary disbursements, $57O,t77 ,s3s. Surplus of receipts, $3O,. 8is,27g. Extraordinary receipts and disbursements; sale of Panama bonds, s2f,63l ,9s0. Sale of Treasury certif. cates sI5,436,50O From premium, s735,7ss. Total extraordinary re. ceipts, $40,s04 ,26s. Extraordinary disbursements; for Panama Canal, s3s,093, ,425; for public buildings, un' der Treasury, $9,34l ,364; for Reclama- ton Service, $ll,l2G,042. For rivers
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