The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-12-06

muOe part VI rue cSutIu1 ouu1tSoB sJS
TEN.
There are entirely too many customs
districts and too many customs col
lcctors. These districts should be con-
solidated and the collectors IN charge
OF them who draw good salaries. many
OF them out Of proportion to the COL
lections made. should be abolished or
treated as mere branch omces. In &C.
cordance with the plan of the treas
ury department. which will be present.
cd for the consideration Of congress.
AZ an illustration. the cost Of collect
Ing 81 Of revenue at typical small
ports like the port Of York. Me-. was
&5o.O4. At the port Of Annapolis. Md.
II cost 4300.4I to collect 81 Of revenue:
at Natchez. So. 20; at Alexandria. Va.
$l22.49.
II n not essential to the preventing
Of smuggling that customs districts
should he Increased In number The
violation Of the customs laws can be
quite M easily prevented and much
more economically by the revenue cut
ter service and by the use Of the spe-
cial aRent travelling force Of the treas
ury department. A reorganization Of
the special customs agents has been
perfected with n view To retaining only
those who have special knowledge Of
the customs laws. regulations and usual
methods Of evasion, and with THE I'm
provement there will he no danger to
tho government from the recommend
I'd consolidation and abolition Of Gus
toms districts.
An Investigation Of the nppraising
system now In vogue In New York city
has shown underappraisement ard
sacrifice OF the interests OF the gov
eminent. which II In the course OF
being remedicd by reorganization and
the employment Of competent experts.
Prosecutions have been instituted grow
Ing out OF the frauds there discovered
and are now awaiting hearing In the
federal courts.
Very great improvements have been
made In respect To the mints and assay
oflices. Diminished appropriations have
been asked for those whose continu-
nnce In unnecessary. and this years cs-
innate Of expenses is 1920. 900 less than
two years ago. There Is nm opportu-
nifty for further saving In the abolition
or several minis and assay offices that
have now become unnecessary. Dur
Ing the past year 100 unnecessary en-
ployees have been dropped from the
Philadelphia mint. Modern machinery
has been Installed there, more and bet
ter work has been done. and the appro-
priations have been consequently d.
minished.
In the bureau Of engraving ana print
ing great economies have been effect
cd. Useless divisions have been abol-
ished with the result OF saving $44O,-
900 this year In the total expenses OF
the bureau despite increased business.
The treasurer's ONCE and that Of the
division OF public moneys In part cover
the same functions, and this II also
true Of the Office Of the register and
the division Of loans and currency.
Plans for the elimination of the dupli-
cation In these Offices will be presented
10 congress.
The ONCE OF the comptroller of the
currency 10 one most important In the
preservation Of proper banking meth
IDS In the national banking system Of
the United States, and the present
comptroller has impressed his subortii.
mites with the necessity of so conduct
Ing their Investigations rs to establish
the principle thnt every bank failure Is
unnecessary because proper inspection
and notice OF threatening conditions
to the responsible directors and officers
can prevent II.
Public Buildings.
In our public buildings we still SUI.
fer from the method Of appropriation
which hns been so much criticised In
connection with our rivers md har-
Tors, Some method should be devised
for controlling the supply Of public
buildings 80 that they will harmonize
with the actual needs If the govern
nent. Not only are buildings appropri-
ated for hy congress which are not
needed and buildings left unappropri-
nted for by congress which are needed.
but when Il comes to the actual con-
struction there has been In the past
too little study Of the building plans
and sites with view to the actual
needs Of the government.
rostofiice buildings which are In ef-
feet warehouses for the economical
handling Of transportation OF thou.
sands Of tons Of mail have been made
monumental structures and often To-
Gated far from the convenient and eco.
nomical spot. In the actual construc.
tion of the buildings closer scrutiny
Of the methods employed by the gov
eminent architects or by architects EN-
ployed by the government has result.
cd In decided economies.
II II hoped that more time will give
opportunity for a more thorough reor-
ganixation. The last public building
bill carried authorization for the ulti
mate expenditure OF $3S. OF 800. and
approved II because Of the many good
features II contained, just as I mp
proved the river and harbor bill. but
Il was drawn upon n principle that
ought to DO abandoned. 1t seems to
me that the wiser method Of prepar
ing n public building bill would be the
preparation Of report by commits
sion Of government experts whose
duty II should be to report to con-
grcss the governments needs in the
way Of the construction OF public
buildings In every part Of the coun-
try. Just ~ the army engineers make
report with reference to the utility Of
"a H..