The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1909-12-09


estimates Of the expenses Of the gov
ernment for the fiscal year ending
June 80 i9ll-that Is, for the next
fiscal year-are less by S5j,GG3,000
than the total Of appropriations for
he current fiscal year and less by
SgIOU0ND0 Than the estimates for that
year. So flr rs the secretary Of the
lrrasu /. able to form a Judgment as
10 mi.sc income, there Wiz be 10
deficit 20 t'ir year ending June 30. 1911.
bui smal surplus Of S1l2,~D.
In the present estimates the needs
II the departments and Of the gov
crnm,mi iave been cut lo the quick.
For the rurlo.o Of securing informa
ton which may enable the executive
and ths legislative branches 10 unite
in plan for the permanent reduction
Ut iAu cost II governmental admins
t.ntlnn lhc treasury department has
Instituted au Investigation by one Of
the most skilled expert accountants In
the Uiiicd SlltcS The object OF the
mvcsti-aiica Is Go devise means 10 In
crease the average efficiency Of each
cmi lpycr There l. great room for I'm
pfovcmrnt toward this end, not only
by the reorganization of bureaus and
departments ard in the avoidance Of
duplication. but also IN the treatment
II the rdit.a.Ii employee.
UuGrr fic present system it constant
y happens hat two employees receive
the same salary when the work OF one
is far more difficult and important and
exacllng than that Of the other Su'
perior ability is not rewarded or en-
coungcd
Civil Pensions.
As the degree of efficiency In all the
departments is much lesscned by the re-
ientiuu uf rld employees who have out
lived their energy and usefulness 1t
IL Indispensable to any proper system
Of economy that provision be made so
that their separation from the service
shall be- easy ANA Inevitable. II Is i'm
possible to make such provision unless
there is adopted plan Of civil pen
slous. We ranuot. In view OF the ad-
yancing prizes OF living. hope To save
money by u reduction In the standard
" salaries paid Indeed. ii any change
Is mndp In that regard an Increase
rather than decrease will be neces
sary. aud The only means Of economy
will Le iu reducing The humber Of
EMPLOYEES nnd IN obtaining greater
average OF efficiency from those re-.
fnin,d In The service
Frauds In the Collection Of Customs.
regret 10 refer TO the fact Of the
discover ~ extensive frauds in the
rull elton OF The customs revenue at
New York city. In which number Of
ihe subordinate employees In the
weighing nnd other departments were
directly concerned and in which the
hcnpnciarieS were the American sugar
Refining company and others. The
frauds consisted In the payment of du
~ on uuLrrwelshts Of sugar. The gov
rrnmeni haS recovered from the Amer
lean Sugar Refining company all that
Il i shown 10 have been defrauded Of
The sum was received In full Of the
amount Cue which might have beeh
recovered by civil action against the
beneficiary Of the fraud. but there was
IN excess reservation in the contract
~ 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 n number Of the gov
ernment officers. The treasury de-
partment and the department OF Jus
tlce are excrting every effort TO dis
cover all the wrongdoers, including the
officers and employees Of the compa-
nles who may have been privy TO the
fraud. II 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. rs 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
ed against the imports from country
II 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 that the dis
ordinations found shall be undue
that Is. without good and fair reason.
No one Is seeking tariff war or con
ditIon I'm which the spirit of retaliation
shall be aroused.
Tariff Readjustment.
The new tariff law enables me to APP
point tariff board to assist me In con
nectlon 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
administration of the entire law. be-
lleye that work Of this board VIII
be Of prime utility and Importance
whenever congress shall deem 1t wise
again to readjust the customs duties.
IL the facts secured by the tariff board
are of such character as to show gen.
erally that the rates of duties imposed
by the present tariff law are excessive
under the principles Of protection as
described In the platform of the sue
cessful pe-tv at the late election i
shall not hesitate to invite the atten-
ton of congress to this fact and to the
necessity for action predicated there
on. Nothing. however. halts business
and interferes with the course OF pros
perity so much as the threatened reyi-
sion Of the tariff. and until the facts
are at hand, after careful and dellber'
ate investigation. upon which such re-
vision can properly be undertaken, IT
seems TO me unwise TO attempt 1t.
War Department.
In the interest Of Immediate econ
omy have required a reduction IN
the estimates OF the war department
for the coming fiscal year which
brings the total estimates down TO an
amount forty-fve millions less than
AT ONE IN SAW AWMILL AT MIDNIGHT