The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-04-04

sea cruising and the discharge by tht naval establishment of most of the du ties now performed by the revenue cutter service upon the high seas. II memoranda submitted on the report ol the commission. copies of which art submitted with such report, on the one hand the secretary of the navy raises the question as to whether these duties can be performed by the regu lar naval establishment without de tracing frO.o it's military efficiency while on the other hand the secretary of commerce and labor raises the question whether certain of these du ties cannot be performed by the light house service if that service is provid ed with vessels suitable for the pur pose.
 In view of these suggestions I rec ommerd that in the enactment of leg islatio1 providing for the abolition Ol the revenue cutter service provision be made for the transfer of all the yes sels and equipment of the revenue cut ter service from the treasury depart ment to the department of commerce | and labor; that the secretary of com merce and labor be directed to assign such vessels and equipment to the lighthouse esta b!ishment, bureau o1 fisheries and, other services under his jurisdiction requiring the use of yes sels as. in his judgment. is for the best interest of the public service, and that authority be given to him to turn over to the navy such vessels as he may find upon investigation not to be re- quired by his department and which by their character are fitted to serve as useful auxiliaries to the naval es- tablishment.
 In thus recommending that the reve- nue cutter service as separate eStab- lishment be abolished l desire to make plain. that such action does not carry with it the discontinuance of the ren- dering of any valuable and proper service now being rendered by that or ganiZation. On the contrary, am per suaded that all such services will con- tinue to be performed under the sys- tenn recommended by me with equal or greater. efficiency.
 1t should be noted that the adoption of the recommendation here made will result in bringing under one general government having to do with the pro tection of lifc and property at sea This will result not only in greatly in. creased efficiency. but in a large say. ing. The lighthouse establishment is compelled by the nature of the work to maintain and operate a large fleet of vessels and supplementary ad ministrative divisions. depots. inspec. tion services, etc.. to attend to mat ters pertaining to their business man. nsemcnt. It is thus fully prepared to take over and operate the additional vessels that may be assigned to it and to perform the additional duties with expense that will be small in compari- son with that now entailed in main taining an independent service on a milita,'v basis.
 A her benefit of no little impor- tante rhat will also be secured will be that of relieving the department of the treasury of duties which are in nc ways germane to the primary function of that department.
 The Consolidation of Auditing Offices.
 The repoSt upon the organization and methods of work of the accounting of fees of the treasury (appendix No. 4 recommends that the offices of the six auditors be consolidated under one au- ditor and that the auditors O. customs accounts located at the principal ports and known as naval officers be made assistants to the auditors. An increase in the efficiency of the treasury audit will be one result of the carrying out of these recommendations, and the say ing of expense when the consolidation has been fully completed will amount to at least s200,OO0 year, based upon current appropriations. The present or ganization, under which six independ ent auditors are engaged in the one work of final audit of the government accounts. is certainly one that can pro duce only diversity of practice and pro cedure. inefficient use of personnel and equipment and delay and uncertainty of requirements from which the public as well as officers of the government must suffer.
 In my opinion change ill law to carry. into effect these recommenda- tions of the commission which have my approval will be in the interest of the public service.
 Tho Returns Office.
 The report upon the returns office of the department of the interior tap- pendix No. 3 recommends the aboli- ticn Of that office and that provision for public inspection of government contracts be made through the office of the auditors of the treasury in which offices the originals of all contracts are filed. It also recommends the substi- tuition of a certificate for the affidavit of the departments of war, the navy and the interior and an amendment of the statute which now requires all the contracts of those departments to he in writing. 1 transmit letters from the secretaries of the departments re- ferred to. concurring in t'Sse conclusions and recommendations of the commis sion. I approve the report and com mend it to the favorable consideration of the congress.
 Government Expenses For Travel.
 The report upon travel expendi-