The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-12-09

the secretary Of the treasury, that the
estimates Of the expenses of the gov
ernment for the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1911-that Is, for the next
fiscal year-are less by $55, ,663. 900
than the total of appropriations for
the current fiscal year and less by
$94. .O00,O 900 than the estimates for that
year. So far as the secretary Of the
treasury is able to form judgment as
| to, future income, there will be no
deficit in the year ending June 80. 1911,
but small surplus Of $4,000.
! In the present estimates the needs
Of the departments and Of the gov
ernment have been cut to the quick.
| For the purpose of securing infOrma-
tiOn which may enable the executive
and the legislative branches to unite
in a plan for the permanent reduction
OF the cost Of governmental admins
tration the treasury department has
instituted an investigation by one of
the most skilled expert accountants in
the United States. The object of the
investigation is to devise means to in
crease the average efficiency Of each
employee. There is great room for i'm
provement toward this end, not only
by, the reorganization Of bureaus and
departments and in the avoidance of
duplication, but also in the treatment
Of the individual employee.
! Under the present system it constant
ly happens that two employees receive
the same salary when the work of one
is far more difficult and important and
exacting than that of the other. Su.
perior ability is not rewarded or en-
couraged.
Civil Pensions.
| AS the degree of efficiency in all the
departments is much Iessened by the re-
tention of old employees who have out
lived their energy and usefulness IL
Is Indispensable to any proper system
of economy that provision be made sc
that their separation from the service
shall be easy and inevitable. 1t is i'm
possible to make such provision unless
there is adopted plan of civil pen
sions. We cannot, in view of the ad
vancing prices of living. hope to save
money by reduction in the standard
Of salaries paid. Indeed, if any change
Is made in that regard an increase
rather than a decrease will be neces
sary. and the only means of economy
will be in reducing the number OF
employees and in obtaining a greater
average of efficiency from those re-
tanned in the service.
! Frauds In the Collection of Customs.
/ regret to refer to the fact of the
discovery of extensive frauds in the
collection of the customs revenue al
New York city, in which a number OF
the subordinate employees in the
weighing and other departments were
directly concerned and in which the
beneiciaries were the American Sugar
Refining company and others. The
frauds consisted in the payment of du
i ty on underweights of sugar. The gov
eminent has recovered from the Amer
ican Sugar Refining company all thai
it is shown to have been defrauded of
The sdm was received in full of the
recovered by civil action against the
beneficiary Of the fraud. but there was
an excess reservation in the contract
! Of settlement by which the settlemen,
] should not interfere with or prevent
the criminal prosecution Of every one
same
Criminal prosecutions are now pro
ceeding against a number of the gov
eminent officers. The treasury de
partment and the department Of jus
tice are exerting every effort to dis
cover all the wrongdoers, including the
! officers and employees Of the compa
MES who may have been privy to the
! fraud. 1t would seem to me that ar
Investigation of the frauds by con
gress at present, pending the probing
by the treasury department and the
/, department Of justice, as proposed
might by giving immunity and other
wise prove an embarrassment in Sc
curing conviction Of the guilty parties
Maximum and Minimum Clause lr
Tariff Act.
| Two features of the new tariff act
call for special reference. In order
that the maximum duty shall be charg
ed against the imports from country
i 1t is necessary that the executive shall
find on the part Of that country not
only determinations in it's laws or the
practice under them against the trade
Of the United States, but that the dis
ordinations found shall be undue
that is. without good and fair reason
No one is seeking tariff war or a con-
dition in which the spirit of retaliation
| shall be aroused.
Tariff Readjustment.
The new tariff law enables me to ap-
point tariff board to assist me in con,
! nectiOn with the department Of state In
| the administration of the minimum and
maximum clause of the act and also to
| assist officers of the government in the
! administration Of the entire law. i be-
Eeve that the work Of this board will
be Of prime utility and Importance
whenever congress shall deem it wise
| again to readjust the customs duties.
| If the facts secured by the tariff board
are Of such character as to show gen.
erally that the rates of duties imposed
/ by the present tariff law are excessive
under the principles Of protection as
| described in the platform Of the sue.