Norwich bulletin., 1910-12-07

cation of duties which might well now be ended
 This lack of system and economic coordination has attracted the atten- ton of the head of that department, who has been giving his time for the last two years, with the aid of ex perts and by consulting his bureau chiefs, to its reformation. and at the risk of being tedious, but merely to illustrate the character of the reforms that are possible, I shall comment on q number of changes that are being made or ought to be made by legis- lative aid
 The auditing system in vogue is as old as the government, and the meth ods used are antiquated. There are six auditors and seven assistant au- ditors for the nine departments, and under the present system the only function which the auditor of de- parement exercises is to determine. on accounts presented by disbursing of f1cers, that the object of the experdi- ture was within the law and the ap- proUrfation made by congress for the purpose on fts face and that the caicu lstiors in the accounts are correct. He does not examine ths merits of the transaction or determine the reason sbleness of tho price paid for the ar tfcles purchased, nor does he furnish any substantial check upon dEsburs- ing officers and the heads of depart ments or bureaus with sufficient premptness to enable the government to reccup Itself fin full measure for unlawful expenditure.
 4 careful plan is being devised and will be presented to congress with the recommendation that the force of audi tors and employees under them be greatly reduced, thereby effeeting sub- stantiaI economy. But this economy will be small compared with the larger economy that can be effected by con- solidat1on and change of methods. The possibilities in this regard have been shown in the reduction of expenses efficiency in the office of the auditor for the postoffice department, who, without in the slightest degree impair ing the conprehenaiveness and efi- ciency of his work, has cut down the expenses of his office $12o,oOO year.
 Again, in the collection of the reve- nues, especially the customs revenues, 8 very great improvement has been eff fected, and further Improvements are contemplated. By the detection of frauds in weighing sugar upward Of $3, 100000 have been recovered from the beneficiaries of the fraud, and an entirely new system free from the pos sibilties of such abuse has been de- vised. The department has perfected the method of collecting duties at the port of New York so as to save the government upward Of ten or eleven million dollars, and the same spirit of change and reform has been infused into the other customs offices of the country.
 The methods used at many places are archaic. There would seem to be no reason at all why the surveyor of rhe port, who really acts for the col lector, should not be q subordinate of the collector at less salary and di- rectly under his control, and there is but little reason for the existence of the naval officer, who Is 6 kind of local auditor. Ills work is mainly an ex- animation of accounts which is con- ducted again in Washington and which results in no greater security to the government. The naval officers In the various ports are presidential appoiutees, many Of them drawing good salaries, and those offices should Do abolished or with reduced force made part of the central auditing sys- tenn.
 There are entirely too many customs districts and too many customs col lectors. These districts should be con solidated and the collectors in charge 1f them who draw good salaries. many of them out of proportion to the col lect1ons made, should be abolished or treated as mere branch offices, in ac- cordance with the plan of the treas ury department, which will be present ed for the consideration of congress. As. an illustration, the coat of collect ing S1 of revenue at typical small ports like the port of York, Me, was s5o.04. At the port of Annapolis, Md, 1t cost $3O9.41 to collect S1 of revenue; at Natchez, $52.76; at Alexandria, Va, s12249.
 It is not essential to the preventing of smuggling that customs districts should be inereas sed in number The violation of the customs laws can be quite as easily prevented and much more economically by the revenue cut ter service and by the use of the spe- ciai agent travelling force of the treas ury department. 4 reorganization of the special customs agents has been perfected with view to retaining only those who have special knowledge of the customs laws, regulations and usual methods of evasion, and with this inn provement there will be no danger to the government from the reconaxne end ed consolidation and abolition of GUS toms districts.
 An investigation of the appraising system now in vogue in New York city has shown underappTaisemeAt and 8 sacrifice of the interests of the gov ernment. which is in the course of being reznedied by reorganization and ehe employment of competent experts. Prosecutions have been instituted grow ing out of the frauds there discovered