Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1909-1915, 1909-12-10

y
but small surplus Of $712,O00. 54 54s
In the present estimates the needs
of the departments and Of the Cow
ernment have been cut to the quick.
For the purpose Of securing informa-
hon which may enable the executive
and the legislative branches to unite
In plan for the permanent reduction
OF che 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 the;
investigation is to devise means to in-t
crease the average efficiency Of each
employee. There is great room for inn
provement toward this end, not only
by the reorganization of bureaus and 4
departments and in the avoidance Of
duplication, but also in the treatment
Of the Individual employee.
Under the present system it constant
ly 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 lit
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 Inn
possible to make such provision unless
there is adopted plan Of civil PEN
sions, 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 decrease will be neces-
sary, and tie only means of economy
will be in reducing the number OF
employees and in obtaining greater
average Of efficiency from those re-
tafned in the service. 5$5i 3$ssSi
Frauds In the Collection of Customs. h
I 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 were!
! directly concerned and in" which the;
1 be benefciares were the American. Sugar
refining company and others. The
| frauds consisted in the pa yment OF stlu-I
! ty on underweights Of sugar. The gov
! ernment has recovered from the Amer
ican Sugar Refining company all that
| 1t Is shown to have been 1efrauded Of.
! The sum was received in full of the
amount due which might have been
| recovered by civil action against the!
i 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
F., the criminal prosecution Of every one
who was found to be subject to the
same. = - = - :55.sjias5555SS
Criminal prosecutions are now pre-
ceeding against; a 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. It would seem to me that an
Investigation Of the frauds shy 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 ciauss III
5Z 5 Tariff Act. 3,$ zs.s S5sfss.#
Two features Of the new tariff act
call for special reference. In order
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