New-York tribune., 1909-01-14
STILL 4 MYSTERY.

The publication by Chairman Tavney or the
House Appropriations Committee of figures
showing the liberality Of Congress IN appro-
priating sums for general inspection and de-
tectiye work heightens the mystery Of the stand
of the committee in favor Of restricting the
functions Of the Secret Service Bureau OF the
| Treasury Department. Mr.. Tawney shows that
Congress was generous enough in providing
for the forces of special agents needed to en-
| force the land laws, the pure food law. the meat
inspection law and the interstate commerce law.
He says:
The aggregate amount appropriated for the
fiscal wear 1909 for Secret Service and services
of that character, including the $4,000 appro-
priated for the Secret Service division OF the
| Treasury Department, is S7.2l4,593 80, being
| s7e2755 in excess of the amounts appropriated
for the fiscal year 1908 for the same service
! There was also appropriated for the fiscal year
| 1909, to be used in whole or in part 10 prevent
| frauds on and depredations upon the several
branches of the public service, 10 protect public
| lands from fraudulent entries, and TO apprehend
and punish other violators of the law. an aggre-
| gate of s235SS17Q, which increase over
| the sums appropriated for the fiscal year 1908
| of s2S3l.66o
! It must be remembered of course that the
| great majority Of the special agents thus pro
vided for by Congress are not in the strict
sense detectives and do not do what might be
| called Secret Service work. Secretary Garfield.
| as Mr. Tawney says, expressly repudiated the
| tectives and it is probable that large part
of the s721459 35 credited by Mr.. Tawney to
| Secret Sereice expenses went to pay for non
Secret Service work. Yet, ii may be freely con
| ceded that Congress was sufficiently open
| handed in providing funds for the maintenance
| of the special agents needed by the government
to supervise the enforcement of the laws.
In view of this exhibition Of liberalitv. it
mains more of a mystery than ever why an
| haop do ooft tha
urv Secret Service Bureau. the specially trained
| and professional branch of the governments
Secret Service. Why was that bureaus allow
ance cut down and a provision inserted in the
| sundry civil appropria ton bill intended to pre-
vent details from the Treasury bureau TO duty
in the other departments? In Mr.. Tawney's
| long speech in the House of Representatives on
| January s he laid stress on the fact that the
House had only strengthened existing law"
! But under the Law as Ii stood transfers and de-
| tails were permitted by the law officers of the
! government If Mr. Tawney had really wanted
10 strengthen" the law he would have made il
explicitly authorize such details and transfers.
| On the contrary he upset the existing system
| by hostile enactment ard then sought to de
| fend his action by saying that he hadn't
changed the law
What practical reason existed for restricting
| the activities of the Treasury Secret Service
expense allowances of the Secret Service men
detailed outside the bureau had been increased
| from So 10 81. Was that the only reason for
forbidding details? Here is Mr.. Tawney's sum-
mary OF the matter
I knew when this provision under consid-
Grafton as many other members did. that il
the opinion Of the Treasury Department and the
Chief Executive that this restriction was un-
wise But I also knew that they were looking
at the matter only from the standpoint of en-
blowing the Secret Service Of the Treasury De-
partnent in all Of the departments of the gov
ernrnent regardless Of the authority Of those
other departments to employ under their own
control such secret service they deemed
necessary. Il my mature Judgment. after
careful investigation Of all the facts and look
ing 10 the best and most economic administra-
tion Of the public service that the limitation
proposed by and my committee should be
adopted and it was upon my judgment. and my
Judgment alone that 7 acted.
But in what respect were the President and
the Secretary mistaken in their point of view?
Why Is trained central agency, available for
use in any department unnecessary and mad
yisable? Are economy and good administra-
ton likely to be promoted by encoura ging the
nine departments TO set up nine separate secret
| service corps, each corps acting independently
Of the others? Mr. Tawney gives the public