Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1909-12-17

tire government, must occupy two or
more years. has been to show much room
stantial reductions in the cost and In
creased efficiency of administration. Tho
object OF the investigation is to devise
means to increase he average efficiency
Of each employee. There is great room
for Improvement toward this end, not
only by the reorganization of bureaus
duplica ton. but also In the treatment of
the individual employee.
Favors Civil Pensions.
More than this, every reform directed
toward the improvement In the average
depend on the ability of the executive to
eliminate from the government service
Those who are inefficient from any cause,
and as the degree Of efficiency, in all the
departments Is much lessened by the re-
tention of old employees who have out
lived their energy and usefulness, IL Is
indispensable to any proper system Of
their separation from the service shall
be easy and Inevitable. 1t is impossible
to make such provision unless there Is
adopted q plan of civil pensions.
Most of the great industrial organiza-
tons. and many of the well conducted
railways OF this country, are coming to
for old employees. and the substitution
therefor of ung and more energetic
servants, promotes both economy and eff
ficiency OF administration.
I am aware that there Is a strong feel
Ing In both houses of congress, and pos
sibly In this country, against the estab-
lishment of civil pensions, and that this
has naturally grown out OF the heavy
burden of military pensions, which II has
always been the policy Of our government
to assume; but I am strongly. convinced
difficulties presented b. the s~uperannu-
alton of civil servants can be found than
that Of a system of ci7il pensions.
Frauds in the Collection of Customs.
regret to refer to the fact of the
discovery OF extensive frauds In the col
lection OF the customs revenue at New
York City, in which a number Of the
subordinate employees In the weighing and
other departments We're directly con-
cerned and in which the benefeiaries
pany n others. The frauds consisted
In the payment of duty on underweights
OF sugar. The government has recovered
pany all that 1t is shown to have been
defrauded OF. The sum was received In
full Of the amount due, which might have
beneficiary of the fraud, but there was
an express reservation In the contract OF
settlement by which the settlement
should not interfere with, or prevent the
criminal prosecution of everyone who
found to be subject to the same.
Crlmlna prosecutions are now proceed
Ing against a number of the government
the department of justice are exerting
every effort TO discover all the wrong
doors, including the officers and EN-.
plyes of the companies who may have
been privy to the fraud. 1t would seem
TO me that an investigation of the frauds
by congress at present, pending the prob
ing by the treasury department and the
department. or justice, as proposed, might
by giving immunity and otherwise prove
an embarrassment in securing conviction
Of the guilty parties. >.
Two features Of the new tariff act call
for special reference. BY virtue OF the
clause known as the Maximum and Min
imum' clause, 1T is the duty of the ex-
tees of other countries with reference to
the Importation into those countries OF
the products and merchandise OF the
United States; and II the executive finds
such laws and practices not to be unduly
discriminatory against the United States,
the minimum duties provided in the bill
are to go into force. Unless the pres
maximum duties provided in the bill, that
Is, an increase Of rs per cent ad valorem
over the minimum duties, are to be in
power conferred and duty imposed on the
executive Is likely to lead to a tariff war.
l beg to express the hope and belief that
no such result need be anticipated.
The discretion granted to the executive
by the terms ''unduly discriminatory" is
wide. In order that the maximum duty
shall be charged against the imports from
the country, IL Is necessary that he shall
find on the part of hat country not only
discrimination in its laws or the practice
under them against the trade of the
lions found shall be undue; that Is,
without good and fair reason. I conceive
that this power was reposed in the pres
ident with the hope that the maximum
dutiee might never be applied in any
case, but that the power TO apply them
would enable the president and the state
department. through friendly negotia-
lions to secure the elimination from the
laws and the practice under them of any
foreign country of that which is unduly
discriminatory. Nc one is seeking a tariff
war or a condition In which the spirit
Of retaliation shall be aroused.
Use of Tariff Board.
The new tariff law nables me to APP
point a tariff board to assist me In con-
nection with the department of state in
the administration of the minimum and
maximum clause of the act and also to
assist officers of the government In the
administrator Of the ntire law. An ex-
animation of the law and an understand
should be considered in discharging the
functions imposed upon the executive
show that l have the power to direct the
tariff board, to make a comprehensive
used and articles embraced in the tariff
law, n to secure information as to the
cost .: production of such goods In this
In foreign countries. / have therefore ap-
pointed a tariff board consisting of three
members and have rected them to per-
form all the duties above described. This
work will perhaps take two or three
years, and / ask congress a continuing
annual appropriation equal to that al
ready made for Its prosecution. / believe
thai the work OF this board will be or
prime utility n Importance whenever
congress shall deem it wise again to
readjust the customs duties. II the facts
secured by he tariff board are of such
a character as to show generally that the
rates of duties imposed by the present
tariff law are excessive under the princi-
pies of protection as described In the
platform of the successful party at the
late election, | shall not hesitate TO In
wife the attention of congress to this fact
and TO the necessity for action ~predicated
thereon. Nothing, however, halts bust
ness and interferes with the course OF
prosperity so much as the threatened re-
vision Of the tariff, and until the facts
are at hand, after careful and deliberate
Investigation, pom which such revision
can properly be undertaken, 1t seems to
me unwise TO attempt 1t. The amount Of
misinformation that creeps into argu-
ments. pro and con In respect to tariff
rates Is such as 10 require the kind OF
investigation hat / have directed the
tariff board TO make, an Investigation un-
dertaken by IL wholly without respect to
the effect which the facts may have In
calling for a readjustment Of the rates OF
duty.
Wa Department.