The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1909-12-08


June 30, l9ll-that is, for the next
fiscal year-are less 10y JJ,GG3. 600
than the total Of appropriations for
the current fiscal year and less by
S9iOOO,OOO than the estimates for that
year. So far as the secretary of the
treasury Is able to form a judgment as
30 future income, there will hc no
deficit in the year ending June 80, 1911,
but small surplus Of $7l2,OOO.
In the present estimates the needs
of the departments and Of the gov
ernmcnt 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
oil the cost of governmental admins
tation 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
provemcnt 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 IL 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. Sp
perior ability is not rewarded or en-
couraged
Civil Pensions.
As the degree of efficiency in all the
departments is much lcssencd by the re-
tcntlon 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 To make such provision unless
there is adopted n plan of civil PEN
sions. We cannot. In view of the ad-
vancing prices of living, hope TO save
money by a reduction in the standard
of salaries paid. Indeed. If any change
is made In that regard an increase
rather than n decrease will be Ueces-
sary. and the only means OF economy
will be in reducing the number OF
employees aud in obtaining a greater
average of efficiency from those re-
tained 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 n number OF
the subordinate employees In the
weighing and other departments were
directly concerned and In which the
beneiiciaries were the American Sugar
Refining company and others. The
frauds consisted in the payment Of du-
ty on undcrweights of sugar. The gov
ernment has recovered from the Amer
lean Sugar Refining company all that
1t is shown to have been dcfrauded of.
The sum was received In full OF the
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
ceedlng against a number OF the gov
ernment 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. II would seem to me that al
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 con 'iction of the guilty parties
Maximum and Minimum Clause In
Tariff Act.
Two fe .tures Of the new tariff act
call for 'pecial reference. In order
that the maximum duty shall be charg
It Is necessary that the executive shall
find on the part Of that country not
only determinations In its laws or the
practice under them against the trade
Of the United States, but thai tie dis
ordinations found shall be undue
that is. without good and fair reason
No one is seeking tariff war or con
dtion In which the spirit of retaliation
shall be aroused
Tariff Readiustment.
The new tariff law enables me TO ap
point a tariff board to assist me in con
nection with the department Of state II
the administration of the minimum anC
maximum clause of the act and also tC
assist officers of the government in thu
administration of the entire law. be
lieve that the work of this board vii
be Of prime utility and importance
whenever congress shall deem II wis'
again to readjust the customs duties
IL the facts secured by the tariff boart
are Of such character as to show gen