The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-01-04

NllluS OH TIC dildNhS.
NestEations requiring the highest order
or intelligence has commended them fr
] the heads OF other Departments and
/ from llne 10 time for many years the
SCI etdtS or the Treasury has received
! requests from the heads Of other de-
paftmeHts who wished to avail fDerp-
{ selves or the services of these agents.
Inc appropriation for suppressinz
cpuaI eFteltIng provides that Tie money
shaH DC used for thai purpose and for
{ TO other except the profession of mo
/ tiesldehi The field agents Of the Sc
/ cieL Service division who are paid ont
I or inns appropriation are per diem en-
/ proves and H. has been considered that
mere would be no improperly I'm dis
/ continuing the services or these men I'm
t.lt "ofk or suppressing cOunterfeftiug
/ stopping their per diem payment from
,h1 appropriation for sUppressing Couu-
! neutrality-suspicious. placing them uDor,
/ leave OF absence without ps2-and mile
so detached and separated, allowing
/ mem 10 be employed by another de-
I laftment, say under the ATTORNEY Cen
/ eiaL Tor the investigation Of specihc
/ the United States
Gives Them Aid.
While thus employed they have been
| designated as special employees" or the
l Department OF Justice and have re-
| ceived compensation equal To that
which they were receiving in The Secret
/ Service divtsion) from the appropriation
miscellaneous expenses of United
! states courts or some other apprg-
pHation properly available for their
/ payment This practice has given the
Attorney General and other heads Of
( departments the services or such agents
| as might from time to time be required
/ TOT periods varying from one day 70
I several months. and UPON the grounds
or economy, efficiency. and convenience
! has proved extremely satisfactory 10
[ every one concerned. II has enabled the
Attorney General 10 conduct investiga-
/ uons IN connection with the violations
| or the trust laws OF laws relating TO
( me public domain, and to lottery enter
pIisess with gratifying results
ite Attorney General is not provided
with any permanent invest eating force
OF Ills own and is barred from tie en-
, ployment Or private detective agencies
OF an act which reads as follows
mat hereafter no emplOye OF the
Thiheltoh detective agency. OF similar
agency shall be employed in amy Gov
/ eminent service or by any officer OF the
4 District OF Columbia lSupplemeut 20
. the Revised Statutes. vol 2 IsgisIa-
/ zion la3Z-lS95, p. 1917"
Inc requirements OF his depsrfu1nf.f
aalir or so uncertain and varied a nature
l-aL AT times during the year fo..- OF
hNe men can take care or the work.
Wflle al other times. iu emeTgeucfez.
went t-nFe Of thirty may be required
Tor short periods. Ir would seem 10 be
lmprarUcable 10 require that he gnOuIf
nave 90 employ these men haDhaZard
ana ~ is self-evldeHt proposition that
Eo cDmpef emit man would be willing ya
FEaru ag.E-gs
with no certainty 20 how mucn time
might e.apse before he would be- needed
again, and n permanent force were
10 De maintained by the Department of
Justice ~ would necessarily have TO
consist or the maximum number N men
that would be needed at any one time.
many periods of The wear when onfv
few men ara necessary 20 conduct the
Work.
How Practice Grows.
So 10 has developed that the practice
OF borrowing men from the Secret Serv-
Ice has been found the best solution OF
the problem. Within the last two years.
during which these temporary employees
have been most active IN the invcstiEa-
ton and prosecution OF land frauds.
Elere has developed an opposition 10 the
I0aning or these trained Irvest gators
TO the other departments O.. mas been
pressing couulerfeIung specifically pro
Eided that the men employed for sup
pressing eJulteEfeIfIug should be- en-
ployed for uo other purpose Whatever. /
and that therefore the lOaninR OF these
agents was direct violation OF Law.
The acl for suppressiuc c0unJerfeiting /
reads as follows.
For expenses incurred under The au- T
Ih0rity OF with the approval Of the Sec /
rctaTN Of the Treasury TN dCUeCuuE. ar .
resting. and delivering into the GUS
tody OF the United States marshal hay
ing jurisdiction, dealers and pretended /
dealers In oouut erfeit money. and Der
sons engaged in COUnteTfeltinE Treasury /
notes, bonds national bank notes and /
other securities OF the United states /
and or foreign governments, as we'll as
the coins OF the United States and or /
foreign governments and other felonies /
committed against tho laws Of the 1
United states relating to the pay and /
bounty laws, including 81 coo to make [
the necessary investigation OF claims for /
endorsement or expenses incident 10 I
the last sickness and burial Of deceased z
pensioners under section AIS or the Re
Nised Statutes, the act Of March .. 1890 /.
and FOR no other purpose Whatever, eX-i
cepL in the protection OF the person Of /
tie President of the United States /
Sl15.OQ0. Provided That no part OF this 4
amount be used n defrayiug the eX- /
United States courts ID attend any trial /
before United states court or preiimi- /
nary examination before any United /
states commissioner. which expenses
shall be paid from the appropriation [
for Fees or witnesses. United States /
court.
How It Can Apply. /
A seems to me that Q careful rcz1Sg /
OF this act discIoses that the phrase
and for no other purpose whatever
applies. and can only apply. 20 the
expenditure Of the money, and does not
and cannot apply to q prohibition
s-aInst employing the agents elsewhere,
so long as they are not reimbursed
from the appropriation f0r suppresEing
In order TO comply with every posi-
bic technical requirement. it recent {
has been the practice Of the depart /
ment to have these agents resign from
the Secret Service division and receive
regular appointments in the department.