The Washington times., 1909-11-18
Latest Information Shows
HOuse-Cleaning Really
Is Progressing.
BONAPARTE ACTION
PLACED UNDER FIRE
Reasons May Be Asked Why He
Did Not Go After Sugar
Officials.

That the housecIeaning at the port Of
New York is not merely planned, but
that 1t is actually proceeding at a rapid
rate IS the information obtained here
today
Secretary of the Treasurer MacVeagh
is devOting nearly all his time to the
sugar frauds and the various customs
frauds personally. Already there have
been large number Of discharges Of
employees at the port Of New York.
What number IS not disclosed, but
the steam roller is in action and the
Treasury officials unite in saying it
win be kept running until all evidences
Of dishonesty are crushed out.
Close Watch On Ports.
Secretary MacVeagh Is going to give
the sharpest kind of attention hereaf-
ter TO the inspection Of the ports. When
he took hold Of things, he found the
inspection system lax. 1t was the policy
Of Secretary Cortelyou and Assistant
Secretary Reynolds not to stir up what
seemed TO them needless trouble. Con-
sequenty, collectors of some ports have
gone along for four years IN some cases
without being scrutinized by the special
agents
when Robert B. Armstrong was AS
sistaut Secretary Of the Treasury ne
set on foot a number OF Investigations,
the effect of which was 70 get the Gus
toms force on edge and TO cause great
excitement among the politicians A
good Illustration Of the effect of inves-
tigation Of a port was seen in the case
of Boston
Boston Stirred Up.
Armstrong went TO work to stir things
up at Boston. whereupon, enter no
less. a parsonage than Senator Henry
Cabot Lodge, who raised an uproar at
the White House. The result was the
special agents were pulled of.
The experiences OF the Treasury De-
partment at this time were not calcu-
lated to whet the desire OF the Treas
ury officials 70 Keep proqding lhe port
officials with sharp sticks. SO when
Mr. Reynolds came into Office. the dis
position was 20 have faith in The in
Tegrity Of the officials and employees
at the port, and let things run along
Here, the feeling is that the charges
Of Richard Parr against former Assist
ant Secretary Reynolds are not Justined,
but there is also the feeling In well-tn-
formed quarters that in desiring TO keep
out Of trouble. some Of the high Treas
ury people may have leaned too far
Secretary 1IacVeagh is not going 20
make any mistake Of this kind. He
instructed Mr.. Loeb at the outset TO
clean uN the port or New Dfk ana put
things on a business basis
Hard To Prophesy.
Talk about a Congressional investiRa-
ton continues pro aud con. Until the
leaders reach here and confer, il viii
not be possible 10 say definitely what
Will happen. If there is an investigation
one of the things which VIII be looked
into viii be The question why former
Attorney General Bonaparte did not
90 after the Sugar trust officials under
the Sherman law in response to the
Earle letters II was learned today that
Milton d. Purdy. then assistant 10 the
Attorney General, urged that prosecu-
tIous be started and took the ground
they would stick.
Bonaparte for some reason did not
proceed.
The result is the statute Of llmita-
tiOus has been declared by Judge Holt
10 apply iu the case Of two Sugar trust
officials who were indicted.