The San Francisco call., 1909-01-05
Many Uses for Agents
A

ADrll ~. IJUo.
To the Chairman of the Committee on
Appropriations, House of Repre-
sentativeS:
Sir-In a bill making appropriations
ernment (H. r. 2126O) for the fiscal
year ending June 30. 1909, and for
other purposes, find on page 29, line
16, as a part Of the section making the
terfeiting and other crimes" the fol-
lowing language:
mo person employed in the secret
service division of the treasury de-
for suppressing counterfeiting and
other crimes, who is detailed, fur
loughed, granted. leave OF absence. dis
missed, or otherwise temporarily or
finally separated from the service of
such division and is thereafter en-
ployed under any other branch of the
public service shall be restored or paid
compensation for services or expenses
in the secret service division for two
years after the termination of his en-
ployment under such other branch OF
the government.
/ now call your attention to section
166 of the revised statutes of the United
States, which reads as follows:
Each head of a department may
button among the various bureaus and
offices of his department of the clerks
allowed by law as he may find it neces-
sary and proper to do"
In6 secret service DIVISION Oh lDS
treasury department is division of
the secretary's office. and the employees
of that division are paid under the
authority of the legislative, executive
cret service division of the treasury
department, but the paragraph which
it is proposed to incorporate in the
sundry civil bill of this year makes it
terms of this act. L am permitted to
detail these employees, including the
chief and the assistant chief Of the
division, to any other branch under my
conflict with section 166 of the revised
statutes and would seriously obstruct
the proper conduct of the affairs of the
department for which / am held re-
sponsible. wish to convey TO you my
respectful. but none the less emphatic
protest against any such abridgment OF
the rights delegated to the secretary of
the treasury by existing law.
During the AZ years that the secret
service division has existed in the treas
ury department, and more particularly
within the last 20 years. it has been
considered by the secretary of the
treasury as one of the most essential
and helpful divisions of his office.
Prior to the organization of the de-
field of activity covered by the treas
ury department was enormous, with
important interests of complex and
diversified character, intimately related
y
branch of national activity and useful
ness.
MUCH WORK FOR AGENTS
1t then had jurisdiction over the
immigration service and the enforce
ment of the Chinese exclusion act. 1t
then had, and still has, those great
industrial plants, the bureau of en-
craving and printing and the mints of
the United States, as we'll as assay of
fees established for the convenience of
the public. 1t has thousands of en-
ployes handling money and precious
metals. and like every other large en-
ployer, finds that it's confidence is some
times abused by dishonest employees
In all offenses of this character the
secretary of the treasury has called
upon the secret service division for an
Investigation, and inasmuch as the ap-
preparation for suppreSsing counter
feiting is available for no other pur-
pose. the expense of these investiga-
tions has been charged against the con-
tingent or other available funds of the
bureaus in which the offense has been
committed. These Investigations have
covered a wide range, but, in order that
you may understand the character of
work which the secretary of the treas
ury has heretofore accomplished under
the authority of section 166 of the re-