The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-02-15
CONGRESS MAKES REPLY To
PRESIDENT ON THE
SECRET SERVICE
Operators Treasury Department Has Not Been Injurious to Their
Respective evces-Centra Detective Bureau Meets NTH lJn-
qualified DsapprovaI of All Who Are Examined Subject

Washington, Feb 15.-Responsible
officials, connected with the detection
of crime In four different branches of
the government. have just testified, In
substance, that the limitation of the
use of the secret service operators of
the treasury department has not been
injurious to their respective services.
They are Chairman Knapp of the In
terstate Commerce commission: Will
liam l.. Soleau, disbursing clerk of
the department of commerce and la
bor; &. w, Trowbridge, chief of rev.
enue agents, and Assistant Secretary
James B. Reynolds. of the treasury
department, In charge of the customs
service.
Their testimony, taken during hear
ings on the sundry civil appropriation
bill. was made public today by the
house committee on appropriations.
With the testimony of Secretary Gar
field Of the interior department and
of Attorney General Bonaparte, 1t is
relied upon by the committee to re-
flute the claim that the limitation
place last year on the secret service
of the treasury department has work
ed to the interest of the criminal
classes.
All who were examined on the sub
ject disapproyed of the suggestion of
a central detective bureau and all ex-
pressed satisfaction with existing
conditions. None could recall de-
mand for secret service operative of
the treasury department during the
past year.
Mr. Soleau explained that In the de-
partment of commerce and labor are
immigration inspectors and special
agents engaged In investigating ques-
tions of violations Of the law. So close
ly allied with administration arc the
services of these investigators that
he doubted very much if the work
could be done so efficiently by GEN.
trail bureau. controlled by some one in
dependent of the department. He
spoke of an imaginary violation of the
Chinese exclusion act 1T seems to
me 1t would cripple the service to
throw that case into an independent
bureau he said when we already
have men on the ground who are able
to take up those cases, and who know
what to do with them on account OF
their familiarity with Chinese exclu-
sion matters.
81 think 1t can be fairly said,' con-
tinued Mt Soleau, that wherever we
have had man separated from some
service where he was an expert in
doing that kind of Work, we take him
in fairly under the law and when
whatever little work he was doing was
accomplished. he resigned from us.
and went back to the place where he
was before We know very we'll that
the law does not permit the detail
from one department to another, and,
as the fiscal and financial agent of the
department, | can say. without fear OF
ANYBODY contradicting It, that ac-
counts do not pass my Office in con-
travention of law. IL the 'overcoat is
In there, somebody so successfully did
It, that my experts cannot md IL and
it passes / hope. Mr.. Tawney, that
our service will not be included In
proposition like that because 1t would
make lots of trouble
Chairman Knapp explained that In
the Interstate Commerce commission
are few men employed to get informa'
ton. about possible infractions of the
law. He added that the commission
had never used a treasury department
secret service man for any purpose.
Assistant Secretary Reynolds Ee-
scribed the force Of special agents and
confidential agents engaged In detect
ing fraud upon the customs revenues.
Since he came into office in 1905, he
said, there had been only two or
three instances where the secret ser
vice division had been called upon
for assistance.
eve used a secret service man once
to watch man who had been convict
ed of assisting in silk frauds In New
York, while his case was being taken
I'D to the circuit court, but nnfortu-
nately the man got away, MI. Rey-
nolds told the committee During the
last year, he said. his department had
had no reason to desire the detail OF
any secret service men.
Mr.. Trowbridge expressed nttle
faith in operatives in the secret SER
vice division of the treasury depart
ment for suppression Of Illicit dis
tilling OF ferreting out violations OF
the oleomargarine act,
"They are q failure so far as our
bureau Is concerned" declared the
chief Of the revenue agents.
II have tried them. ] gave them a
fair test, two bright fellows at $40
per day each and expenses for two
months, and they did not meet with
any successes"