Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-11
TO INCLUDE ALL INSPECTOR
Mr.. Tawney Explains That Contro-
versy With the President Is
Merely Incidental.


man. Currier of New Hampshire. Young
of Michigan. Brantley of Georgia and
Bowers of Mississippi as members of the
special committee authorized by the Taw-
ney resolution OF last Saturday to inves-
tigate the various branches of the gov
eminent secret service. Messrs. Brant-
ley and Bowers are democrats. Mr..
Bowers is the only member of the ap-
propriations committee to be appointed
to the special committee This is due
to no other reason than that the members
of the appropriations committee are the
busiest men in the House and at this, a
short session of Congress. would not, by
any chance, have the necessary time to
devote to an investigation of government
secret agents of the comprehensive nature
contemplated by the Tawney resolution.
AS explained in The Star last Satur-
day, in the natural course of procedure
Mr.. Tawney, being the author of the
resolution in question, would have been
appointed chairman of the special COM
mittee, but Mr.. Tawney couldn't touch
the proposition, and Judge Smith of Iowa.
who was also thought of for the place.
could not consider it either.
The selection of Mr.. Olmsted as chair
man of the special committee of investi-
House. He is recognized as man OF
ability and a good lawyer, and is credited
with the possession of a backbone of the
necessary stiffness to carry to success his
admittedly difficult task. The committee
will begin it's sessions practically at once.
Mr.. Tawney Explains.
Chairman Tawney of the appropriations
committee is somewhat irritated as a
result of the general impression that
seems to prevail that he introduced his
resolution for an investigation of all
forms Of public government inspection
and private detective work as a result of
the still warm controversy between the
President and Congress. In connection
with this Subject Mr.. Tawney talked
freely to a Star reporter today.
ut is we'll known here In the House.
said the appropriation committee chair
man. that for the past four years l
have been endeavoring to secure adequate
and complete information with respect to
the inspection work, both public ana
private, of the government, with partic-
ular reference to the exact amounts e ea-
pended, the number of men employed Tor
such work. and the specific purposes for
which they were used. Up to date have
been unsuccessful in this quest. Conse-
uuently, at the last session of Congress l
discussed the advisability OF the intro.
that adopted by the House on Saturday.
and again before the recent holidays
took the matter up.
Controversy Only Incidental.
II want to make it emphatic and posi-
tive" continued Mr.. Tawney, that the
present resolution has nothing whatever
to do with the present controversy be-
tween the President and the House OF
or with the mention by
name of myself and other members of
the appropriations committee. 1t would
seem to me that even brief glance at
the facts in the case would be convincing
proof Of the reasonablenesS Of this state
ment.
1.-THE secret service bureau Of the Treas
ury Department, which one might infer
Roosevelt was the only detective force at
the disposal of the government for the
detection of criminals and the punishment
of crime, comprises only forty-seven men.
Yet the total inspection service, public
and private, at the disposal of the govern
ment comprises more than 5000 men. The
secret service branch of the Treasury
Department will only be investigated Incl
dentally, / am certain. under the terms
of the resolution, by the special commit
tee Of which Mr.. Olmstead is chairman.
I'm 1895 the total inspection force of
the government included only 1856 men
and the total sum expended for such
service in that year was about 81 800. 600.
Now, as 1 have said. there are more than
5000 men employed by the government
for such work, and the total annual ex-
penditure is more that $10.O00,OO 1 and
other members of the appropriations com
mittee are anxious to know ething
of this service, the way the money is
spent-most of it being appropriated by
the lump sum method-and what services
orr in
pensation. We have no information at
hand bearing on these matters, and l
have been unable after attempting to do
SO for four years. to learn anything ade-
quate or satisfactory as to the details of
such service. That is why this resolu-
ton was prepared and introduced.
Simply After Information.
1--WE have no objection to the employ
ment Of public and secret government
agents whenever such employment is
necessary-in fact, / for one thoroughly
approve of such employment-but in order
to know what is necessary and what is
unnecessary We must have full infOrma-
ton on the subject.
'Afl the departments Of the government
will be investigated with respect to their
employment of inspectors and secret serv-
Ice men. including the Post Office De-
partment. In that department there were
only a few more than 100 inspectors en-
ployed in 1898. ten years ago, while now
there are nearly 600 on the rolls.
so far as can ascertain, every depart
ment Of the government has it's secret
service force. Consequently it is hard to
see how the limitation upon the activities
of the Treasury branch of the secret
service affected. in any manner or to any
degree, the work of the secret service
forces of other departments in the detec-
ton and punishment Of crime
Of ho
that the special committee announced to-
day will be most important in its dis
coveries. and results may be far reaching
in its influence upon the future attitude of
Congress with reference to public and
private agents of inspection in the various
branches of the public service
Utilizing Vacant Lots.