The Washington times., 1910-11-24

permission to look at it at the Treas
ury Department. They were refused
such permission. first by subordinate Of
= flcials, whose position was indorsed by
Secretary MacVeagh However. is
known that the contract provides that
Young & Co. shall be paid $40 4 day SAL
sry and s. subsistence for senior sc-
cOuntants and S1250 day and s. sub
sistence for junior accountants. These
facts are alleged in the afidavits fled
at the Department OF Justice. and Sec
retary MacVeagh admits their correct
ness
Again the Secret.
Secretary BIacVeagh takes the position
that in justice to Young & Co he ought
not make the contract public Hence il
has been shown neither 70 the account
ants nor their attorney. Mr. NacVeagh
says furthermore that having refused
It in the first instance. he viii not allow
II TO be opened up for newspaper insDec-
ton
As 20 the afhdavfts filed with the De
partment Of Justice, copies of them
= have been sent the Treasury by the At
torney General Secretary MacVe2gh
Z has obtained an opinion from the So
Icftor OF the Treasury as 20 his course
IN the matter. The Solicitor has advised
him that it is not incumbent on him TO
make the contract public and that the
question OF what the accountants were
paid by Young & Co. is one that as
matter Of law does not concern the
Treasury II is a matter between the
employer and the employed men
At the Department Of Justice, II IS
said that that department has no duty
to perform in the matter and that If the
accountants have a remedy 1t lies in
civil suit Some doubt is cast on the
ability Of the accountants 10 recover.
however, inasmuch as there IS not al
legged TO have been any agreement by
Mr.. Young 10 pay them more than he
did pay them OF TO pay them the full
amount he was allowed by the Govern
ment for each accountant
Democrats May Investigate
It appears that six senior accountants
and two junior accountants were en-
pIoyed by Young & Co. on the business
OF devising new system for the con-
duct OF business at he Treasury.
One Of the phases 1f the matter which
IS likely to pro-o,1e discussion is its
political side ThLt--S. now that the
Democrats have got control Of the
House and are assaiIing the Republicans
for extravaganza. they may see 1T to
want to make minute inquiry into the
Treasury contract with Young & Co
under which the concern got liberal al
Iowances for each accountant, while. in
: the case Of the two men complaining,
at least, comparatively low wages were
actually paid out
Secretary MacVeagh talked OF the
contract with Young & Co, but said he
did not wish 10 make It public. He
does not deny that the complaining ae-
countants were paid less than the Gov
ernment paid Young & Co He takes
the position. however. that what he was
concerned in was TO get efficient service
from Mr. Young and that he got IL.
While he does not give an estimate
on the amount Of economies effected
through the employment OF Young &
Co, he said in a single case, relating
10 the cancellation Of bills. a saving OF
sl25. coo a year had been brought about
and that numerous other economies
have been effected
Thinks Well of Young.
ny. MacVeash said he had known
Arthur Young a long time, and had a
high opinion Of him He did not con
slider the complaining accountants had
any hold on the Government or on
Young
NIr- MacVeaEh thinks so well OF the
expert advice OF Young that he has re-
tafned him for additional service this
winter In this ease, however. only two
accountants viii be needed The six
months contract with Young ended In
November.
Many OF the old-timers about the
Treasury have not tried 70 conceal their
soreness at the notion Of outsiders com
Ing into the department and trying to
give them pointers on how 20 run their
business No doubt the fling Of aTflda-
Wits with the Department Of Justice in
this particular case will cause them
more than ever TO insist that all the
needed reforming IN the Treasury can
be done from within