Putnam patriot., 1909-12-10
Government Expenaitures and Rev

+- Atf+HH ffN FF7NNAiif aii AlIt snrreieaey Of revenue.
 The report of the secretary shows that the ogdlbary expenditures for tht current tsesl year ending June Ssa iSla NIH exceed the estimated rA ceipfS by SS4.0I5.tS,0 II to this deficit are added the sum fo he siisb0rsed fos the faaanas canal. amounting fe Sss. esltssl. and si.eea.oeu te be paid ou the public debt. the deficit of ordinary receipts and expenditures will be in creased to total deficit of S1S.0.50-a This denc1 the secretary proposes te meet og the proceeds of bonds issued Co pay the cost of constructing the Panama canal 1 approve this pro pesal.
 The Panama Canal.
 The policy of paying for the con strueiloB of the Panama canal not out of current revenue. but by bond issue. WAS adopted in tbe Spooner act of 1902. and there seems Co be no good reasea for departing from the princi pie by which a part at least of the burden of the eost of the canal shall fall upon our posterity. who are 10 enjoy 1t, and there is all the more req. son for this view because the actual cost to date of the canal. which is now half done and which will be completed Jan. l. l9Ia. shows that the cost of engineering and construction will be s2915e6.oee instead of SiS9. .T0o.a 200. Us originally estimated. h addition te engineering and construction. the oth CT expenses. iRe eladIag sanitation and government and the amount paid for The properties. the franchise and the privilege of building the canal. in crease the cost by SIa E}5,oeo to q total ef SS7sa9ile lea Tie increase in the cost of engineering and eeAstrne tien k due fe substantial enlarge ment of the plan CT construction hy widening the canal Io0 feet in the Gu zebra cut and by increasing the al 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 la ber and materials. both of which have greatly enhanced in price since the original estimate was made.
 Government Economy.
 In order Ia avoid a deficit for the ensuing hscal year 1 directed the heads of departments In the prepara ton of their estimates to make them as low as possible consistent with i'm nerative governmental necessity. The result has been. as l 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. l911-that is. for the next fiscal sear-are less by $oo.6tsS.ooo than the total of appropriations for the current fiscal year and less by S94. 4.00o. 900 than the estimates for that year So far as the secretary of the treasury is able to form judgment as b future income. there will be nc deficit in the year ending June 90. 1911. but a small surplus of $T12,oo0.
 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- ton which may enable the executive and the legislative branches to unite In a plan for the permanent reduction oI 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 t1be investiga ton is to devise means to In crease the average efficiency of each employee. There is great room for iin- provemeut 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 1t constant .ly happens that two employ ees receive the same salary when the work of one is far more difficult and important and exacting than that of the other Sn- perior ability is not rewarded or en- couraged.
 Civil Pensions.
 As the degree of efiiciency in all the departments Is ,much iessened by the se- tention of old employees who have ont lived their energy and usefulness h is indispensable ito any proper system of economy that provision be made so that 'tiaair separation from the service shall tle easy and inevitable. It is i'm possible to make such provision unless there Is adopted . plan of civil pen sions. .Ue cannot. in view Of the nd Sancing prices of living. hope to save uoney by q reduction in the standard .of salaries paid. Indeed. if any.change is made in that regard an increase lras her than a d.crense will be uecee- sary, aud tte only means of .eeosomy will be in reducing the numbe~ of emgsoyees aGd iD obtaining greater average of a.ticie8ey froll i.ose Ec taiDed in the service.
 Frauds in the Collection cf Customs
 1 regret to rsfef to the fact Of ibr dlxeoxery of extensive frsads fn the esiiectisa of the customs revenue al New Fork city. is which nsmber of the subordinate employees in the weighing and other departments were directly concerned and in which the s,ene6eiaries were tke American Sugar Refining company and otbers. The frauds eoa~i<s ed iB thr payment of du- ty on underwesehts of sugar The gA~ ernmenf has recovered from the Amer fcan Sugar k~nniag csUpany aij thai # is shown fo nave beeB defrauded Of The sum was received ia full of the amount due which might have 5een recovered by eiyii action against the beneficiary of the fraud. buf there vas sn excess reservation in the contract of settlement by which the settlement should not interfere with or prevent