The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-12-07

I
Jan. i. 1915, shows that tho cost Of
engineering and construction will be
$297. 100000 instead OF $139.7o5 200. al
originally estimated. In addition "a
engineering and construction. the 9th
er expenses, including sanitation and
government and the amount paid for
the properties. the franchise and the
privilege Of building the canal, in
crease the cost by ST5.435,0OO to n
total Of 75,201 900 The Increase in
the cost Of engineering and construc-
ton Is due to substantial enlarge
ment Of the plan OF construction by
widening the canal 100 feet in the Gu
Zebra cut and by Increasing the di-
mansions Of the locks. to the under
estimate Of the quantity Of the work
to be done under the original plan and
to an underestimate Of the cost Of In
Dor and materials. both Of which have
greatly enhanced In price since the
original estimate was made.
Government Economy.
In order to avoid a deficit for the
ensuing fiscal year directed the
heads Of departments IN the prepare
ton OF their estimates to make them
as low as possible consistent with i'm
perative governmental necessity The
result has been. as am advised by
the secretary Of the treasury, that the
estimates Of the expenses Of the gov
ernment for the fiscal year ending
June 30, 19i1-that is, FOR the next
fiscal year are less by S55,663, 600
than the total Of appropriations for
the current fiscal year and less by
S04,000,000 than the estimates for that
year, SO far as the secretary Of the
treasury Is able to form Judgment as
10 future Income, there will be no
deficit in the year ending June 3d. 1911,
but a small surplus Of $712,000.
In the present estimates the needs
Of the departments and Of the gov
eminent 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 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 ID the avoidance Of
duplication, but also Ia the treatment
of the individual employee
Under the present system it constant
II 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 It
is Indispensable to any proper system
Of economy that provision be made SO
that their separation from the service
shall be easy and inevitable. Ii is Inn
possible 10 make such provision unless
there Is adopted plan Of civil pen.
sions, We cannot. III view Of the adj
vancing prices OF living. bepe to save
money by A reduction in the standard
Of salaries paid. Indeed. II any change
is made in that regard an increase
rather than decrease win be neces-
sary. and the only means Of economy
will be in reducing the number OF
employees aud Ia 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 at
New York city. In which a number Of
the subordinate employees 10 the
weighing and other departments were
directly concerned and in which the
were the American Sugar
Refining company and others. The
frauds consisted IN the payment OF du-
ty on underweights of sugar. The gov
eminent has recovered from the Amer
lean Sugar Refining company all that /
1t is shown to have been defrauded Of 1
The sum was received In full Of the 1
amount due which might have been
recovered by civil action against the
beneficiary of the fraud. but there was
an excess reservation in the contract
of settlement by which the settlement
should not Interfere with or prevent
the criminal prosecution of every one
who was found to be subject to the
same.
Criminal prosecutions are now pro-
ceedIng against 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 It would seem to me that an
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 In
Tariff Act
Two features of the new tariff act
call for special reference. In order
that the maximum duty shall be charg-
Oh aoafnsf the iyunorts from country