New-York tribune., 1912-01-21
Started with Three Rooms and
aDozen Employees; Now Has
100000 Building
Housing $500 People.

tconvr,cht, 1912. by Thavis & Colman.)
~ o trace the growth and extension OF
the Treasury Department of the
Il United States is TO tell in brief
hut graphic terms the marvellous fnan-
ctal commercial and industrial growth
and progress Of the nation. for tho
treasury Department is intimately con-
nected with the industries of the coun-
,ry. The department as now constituted
was organized under an act Of Congress
approved September 2, 1888. Under tie
confederate system Of government which
followed the conclusion Of peace with Great
Britain we practically had no Treasury De-
uartnent-in fact there was little need for
such an institution, for the Continental Con-
eress had no power TO levy and collect
taxes Of any kind. For means to support
the small regular army necessary to hold
the Indians in check, to defray the expenses
Of our few foreign embassies and of the
Congress itself It had TO depend upon the
voluntary contribution OF the states, and
those contributions were irregular and fire.
ouently grudgtngly given. The result Of
this was that when, in March, 1888, the
new government assumed control there was
financial chaos and Congress had an empty
treasury.
The act establishing the department pro-
vided that II should consist Of a secretary
an assistant to the secretary, controller,
an auditor, treasurer and a register. No
provision was made in the act for clerical
force Never were more onerous duties
placed on the head Of a department Of the
government than those placed on the first
Secretary Of the Treasury. He was COM
rnissfoned TO support the public credit and
evolve a revenue system, provide the meth
ods Of collecting that revenue and devise
system Of keeping the accounts Of the gov
eminent He was TO be not merely an ad-
ministrative head, but 20 be a minister OF
finance.
No man better fitted for the task could
have been found than the one selected by
President Washington. AS has been said OF
him: "He touched the dead corpse of the
public credit and II sprang upon It's feet;
he srnote the rock Of the nations resources
and abundant streams of revenue gushed
forth" He evolved system of federal
revenue that has been followed. with only
few minor changes. to this day. In his
system of internal revenue was Included
tax on carriages. This created an intense
opposition, and was finally determined In
the courts, the contention Of the opponents
being that II was in the nature or direct
tax. hence forbidden by the Constitution.
The Supreme Court sustained the constitu-
tionality Of the tax, and the night was
transferred to the floor Of Congress, where
several attempts were made 10 amend the
Constitution so as TO define definitely what
constituted direct taxes The contest was
ended by repeating the law, or rather by
striking from the list the tax on carriages.
Now we have a tax on corporations, that
being about the only difference in our pres
ent internal revenue system and that under
Hamilton after the carriage tax was elini-
mated.
While the seat of the government was In
New York and Philadelphia the Treasury
Department occupied two or three rooms In
a rented building. 1t was not until mid
summer OF 1900. when the government was
removed to Washington, that the depart
nent had q home of its own. 1t was a
very modest home. erected at cost OF
about 5000, but the department at that
time was a very modest affair. consisting OF
snly twelve persons. This new home was
wooden building designed by George Hat
field, an English architect. 1t had two
stories and an attic. the two stories being
divided into eight rooms, each room having
Q large fireplace, where in cold Weather
burned fires Of huge logs cut In the forest
near by
Small as this building was, IT was capa-
cious enough to house the entire Depart
ment and stilI have room enough TO spare
In case of a future increase in the WORKING
force Al that time the force OF the de-
partment consisted of q secretary, an as
sistant TO the secretary, who acted as cnlel
clerk; one clerk in the secretary's office;
treasurer. with one clerk and one book
keeper; an auditor with one clerk; con-
roller, with one clerk, and a register WIN
one clerk.
Compare this modest wooden building and
It's little force of twelve persons with the
mammoth four story structure OF granite
Of to-day, which was erected at COST OF
100000 and which is large enough TO
house only a part of the great force en-
gagged in the work Of the department Tne
work that was done by twelve persons IN
bo now requires the labor OF more than
1So persons. In addition. the Bureau OF
Engraving and Printing, part OF the
Treasury, has 400 on its payroll, making q
skeptical taxpayer may wonoeF a.
tnere is work enough for this great force
Let him go into the building during work
ing hours walk along the wide corridors
ana look through the doors Of the rooms
ana he win see no idlers. for all are pnsy.
In 1900 there was a custom house IN
Boston. another in New York, a thiro IN
Philadelphia, fourth in Baltimore ana
NTH at Charleston, employing altosetner
scout fifty persons. About as many more
were engaged In collecting the mternai
revenue. Thus only little more than one
nundEed persons did the entire Work OF
me Treasury Department Now nearly
senty thousand are engaged In colecuns
us revenue Of the government.
fhe ofhciai force at the present ume
consists OF secretary who has tnree
assistants; chief clerk, private secre-
nry and two or three stenographers snd
vpewriters. each assistant secretary De,
"s provided with private secretary anu