The river press., 1909-12-15

> the secretary Of the treasury, that th
estimates Of the expenses Of the 20,
: ernment for the fiscal year endin
June 30, 1911-that is, for the mex
fiscal year--are less by $55, 90
than the total Of appropriations fo
the current fiscal year and less b
$94,OOO,OOO than the estimates for tha
year. So far as the secretary Of th
treasury is able to form judgment a
10 future income, there will be n
aehcit In the year ending June 80, 1911
but small surplus of $4,000.
In the present estimates the need
OF the departments and Of the gov
ernment have been cut to the quick.
For the purpose of securing informa
t1on which may enable the executiv,
and the legislative branches to unit,
IN a plan for the permanent reduction
OF theecOst Of governmental admins
tration the treasury department ha!
Instituted an investigation by one o
the most skilled expert accountants ii
the United States. The object of tn,
investigation is to devise means to in
crease the average efficiency Of eact
employee. There is great room for i'm
provement 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 it constant.
~ 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. Su.
perior ability is not rewarded or en-
couraged.
Civil Pensions.
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 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. 1t is i'm
possible to make such provision unless
there is adopted plan Of civil pen
slons. 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 a decrease will be neces-
sary. and the only means of economy
will be in reducing the number of
employees and in obtaining a greater
average of efficiency from those re-
tained In the service.
Frauds In the Collection Of Customs.
l 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 a number of
the subordinate employees in the
weighing and other departments we're
directly concerned and in which the
benehctaries were the American Sugar
Refining company and others. The
frauds consisted in the payment of du-
ty on underweights of sugar. The gov
ernment has recovered from the Amer
lean Sugar Refining company all that
1t Is shown to have been defrauded 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-
ceeding against 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. 1t would seem to me that an
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 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 a country
It is necessary that the executive shall
find on the part Of that country not |
only determinations in it's laws or the
practice under them against the trade
Of the United States, but that the dis
found shall be undue
that is. without good and fair reason.
No one is seeking tariff war or con-
aition in which the spirit Of retaliation
shall be aroused.
Tariff Readjustment.
The new tariff law enables me to ap-
point tariff board to assist me in con
aection with the department of state in |
he administration of the minimum and |
maximum clause of the act and also to |
assist officers Of the government in the |