Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-04
Appeal Made by CorteIyou
for Continuance of Methods
APPENDIX d.

May ), 1905
Hon. William 3. Allison
Chairman Committee on Appropriations
United States Senate:
My Dear Senator: While the sundry civil
bill Oh. r.. 212GO) was under consideration
In the committee of the whole House on
the state of the Union, the following
amendment was adopted to the paragraph
making the appropriation for suppress
ing counterfeiting.
NO part of any money appropriated by
this act shall be used in payment of
compensation or expenses of any person
detailed or transferred from the secret
service division of the Treasury Depart
ment. or who may at any time during the
hScal year 1879 have been employed in
or under said sercet service division
Among other funds appropriated by the
sundry civil act. to which this amendment
would apply. is one for the collection Of
revenue from customs and for the pre-
vention and detection of frauds on Gus
toms. both of which are under the control
and direction Of the Secretary of the
Treasury.
Section 1GG of the Revised StatlteS rro-
VideS:
Each head of a department may from
time TO time alter the distribution among
the various bureaus and offices of his de-
partment OF the clerks allowed him by
law as he may find it necessary and prop
er To do.
Appeal for Secret Service.
Under the authority granted by this sec
ton the Secretary of the Treasury from
time to time has detailed men from the
secret service division to detect frauds
upon the customs. and their expenses
Willie so engaged have been paid from
the appropria ton for this purpose. Under
the amendment to which have referred
above. II would appear that | am pro-
hiblted from making such details and
from paying the men detailed from
any appropriation under the sundry civil
act
This would seem 10 be an abrdgment
If the right extended 10 the Secret ary of
Inc Treasury by section 1876. and a dis
elimination against the Secretary of the
treasury which is distinctly in favor of
the Niolator of the federal statutes in
asmuch as il restricts the Secretary in
using every possible force TO combat
frauds upon the customs
But this is only one phase of a matter
which seems to me to be of vast and far
reaching public Importance The secret
service division has been valuable
branch of this office for many years Its
field force is composed of Investigating
officers of the highest skill. men familiar
with all of the tricks and subterfuges of
high-grade criminals. and whose integrity
and devotion TO the governments inter
csts have never been successfully as
sailed
Their peculiar fitness for criminal in
Vestigations requiring the highest order
OF intelligence has commended them to
the heads of other departments and from
time 10 .ime for many years the Secre-
tary Of the Treasury has received re-
quests from the heads of other depart
ments who wish to avail themselves of
TIE services of these agents.
Detail to Other Departments.
The appropriation for suppressing coun-
tcrfeiting provides that the money shall
be used FOR that purpose and for no other
except the protection of the President
The field agents Of the secret service divi-
sion who are paid out OF this approp,ia-
ton are per diem employees. and il has
been considered that there would be no
imp roprety IN disseminating the services
Of these men in the work of Suppressing
counteIfeitinS, stopping their per diem
payment from the appropriation for sup
pressing terfeiting-practically pac-
ing them upon leave of absence without
raS-aud while so detached and sepa-
rated allowing them To be employed by
another department, say under the At
;orney General. for the investigation of
specific violations of the criminal statutes
IF the United States.
While thus employed they have been
designated as special employees of the