Omaha daily bee., 1910-04-03
MACvEACH NAN OF METHOD
Secretary Of Treasury Puts His De-
partment on Business Basis.
HdR COOPERATION Is SECURED
Heads Of Divisions Hold C-onferences
Twice Each Week and "Brief'
Matter for Confederation
= of chief.
ny RALPH N. wH1TEs1DE.

81 Nil - " " 4 ANAANI
WASHINGTON, April Especial to
the Publishers Press 1--WE hear com
paratively little Of Secretary OF the
Treasury Macveagh these days, but don't
get IT into your head that Uncle Sans
chief financier is not a very busy man.
Whatever Mr.. Mscveagh's qualifications
asa politician may be. there is no doubt
frtt he is a most capable business man
ana knows just how even so big a bust
ness as the United States Treasury de-
psrment should be run TO get the best
rAIts.
The phrase business administration for
public offices" Is less Of a standing joke
in Washington. Politics and business are
so closely interviewer that fl is practically
impossible to separate them. SO the
Treasury department is not run exactly
as Mr.. MacVeagh would run Il, perhaps,
~ il was his own private business. He
has. nevertheless. introduced many inno-
vations which enable him to keep in touch
with all the departments which call him
chief. TO coordinate the work and facil-
itate business. Twice n week he has what
may he called a cabinet meeting with all
the assistant secretaries. when the en-
tire business Of the department is gone
over.
Mr.. MacVeagh has always been a firm
believer i'm the policy Of absolute CO.
operatiQn-from office boy TO proprietor
-in any establishment over which he
has had control. Since coming to Wash
ington Mr.. MacVeagh has undertaken to
give the Taft plea for economy some sub
stance, and he has. therefore, applied
such business methods as he and his as
sistants brought into the government
service as would tend TO make OF the
Treasury department a modern business
establishment.
There are under the jurisdiction Of the
Treasury department eight divisions and
eighteen other separate offices. each un-
der the head Of a director. chief, superin-
tendent, comptroller. auditor, treasurer,
commissioner. registrar. supervising ARCH
itect or surgeon general.
In the crush of daily routine i'm the
Treasury department it was impossible
for Secretary MacVeagh to keep in touch
wAh all that was going on under the old
system. which provided no means of CO.
operation except that Of an occasional
conference between the secretary and one
or more Of his subordinates.
The presidents cabinet meets at II
a. m. on Tuesdays and Fridays of each
week, and until that hour the assistant
secretaries of the Treasury are always at
the command of Mr.. MacVeagh. who may
want to see any or all of them on cabinet
business.
Cabinet of Treasury.
After Mr.. MRcVeagh had left the depart
ment, however, under the new system in
vogue in the Treasury department, the I'M
der-secretaries hold a preliminary treas
ury cabinet" meeting. Each one OF them
brings up matters under his immediate
supervision which are OF general interest
to the entire department. or upon which he
may be in doubt. These matters are dis
cussed in detail for a few hours on Tues
days and Fridays of each week, II. o..
Bailey, secretary to Mr.. MacVeagh, acting
as secretary of the conference. At the end of
Athe meeting all of those matters which
Nhave been discussed, and which It is
deemed advisable to bring to the attention
OF the secretary himself, are gathered to-
gether and briefed. and a copy is sent to
each member Of the treasury cabinet and
one is handed over to Secretary Mac
Veagh when he returns for the regular
cabinet meeting.
over night Mr.. MacVeagh acquaints
himself with the contents OF this document
and gathers together his own ideas on the
subjects discussed. on Wednesday and
Saturday Of each week the full cabinet OF
the treasury convenes in the secretary's
office at IL a. M, and there the results
of tho previous days conference are gon,
over and a final decision made.
BY this system it can, be readily seer
not only Is Secretary MacVeagh kept In
touch with the entire work of his depart.
ment, but each one of his assistants en-.
joys a similar privilege which has no
hitherto been their lot. on moot cues
tions, in which II is believed the chief Of
the bureau or division involved can throw
more light than anybody else. It is tn,
policy Of the treasury cabinet to have then
present, Thus the machinery of the Treas
ury department has been brought into co
ordination. 1t is more than likely tina
this policy may shortly be put into opera
ton in other departments Of the govern
ment.
Douglas Mansion to he sold.
Negotiations probably will be closed 1
a few days for the sale Of the spacious oil
mansion at the intersection Of New Jer
sey avenue, Second and I streets, north
east, which was built by Stephen A.. Doug
las while a member OF the United State
senate, in a section considered at the tim
the most fashionable in the city. Her
he brought his bride, Dolly Gusts. a grand
daughter OF Dolly Madison, and the mos
famous and the most beautiful OF all the
cOterie Of bellies far-famed in Washing
toms ante-bcllum days. The house 500
became the social center Of the city. I
was from there that he launched his car
didacy for the presidency against Lincoln