The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-05
SECRETARY URGES
 BANKING REFORMS
tcontinued From Page one)


 can be owned, controlled or shared in
 in any degree, directly or indirectly, by any other bank for the equality of all banks, national or state, both as to standards and as to functions so that every requirement made of a national bank must be compiled with equally by 6 state bank and every function or privilege enjoyed by state
 bank shall be enjoyed by a national bank; for the utilization and the fiu- idity of bank assets: for the scientific development of exchanges-domest
 and foreign; for foreign banking as an
 adjunct of our foreign commerce, and for taking the treasury department out
 of the banking business"
 Discussing customs reforms, Secre- tary MacVeagh says that widespread
 exposures by the present administra- tion of frauds have resulted in an an-
 nual saving to the government of more
 than $10,000,000, distinctly an under estimate"
 To show that incoming travellers are
 now more honestly declaring their bag gage as the result of reforms, the Secre- tary points out that at New York alone the revenues from travellers imports have
 increased from yearly average of $780, 6SS for the previous administration to
 about s2,100,000 in 1912. This class of lTduuS, Ht says, hdu Dttl Ipt tiliy tOn- spicuous, but almost defended.
 Probe of Appraisers Regarding the pending investigation of the board of general appraisers at New
 York by commission appointed by Presi- dent Taft, Secretary MacVeagh says the
 board has drifted from it's original institu- tion as a board of customs review within the treasury department to quasi in- dependence as a court outside of 1t. The department, he adds, needs a board of general appraisers within the department to supervise and unify the appraisng work of the country.
 MT. MacVeagh urges that all collectors
 and surveyors of customs naval officers,
 appraisers and assistant appraisers, col lectors of internal revenue and all like officials of the treasury department whose appointment requires confirmation by the Senate be transferred to the classified civil service. Complete separation of the treas
 ury service, especially the classified part of it from practical politics, Is rscom-
 mended by the Secretary.
 Would Abolish Assay Office | The abolition of all assay offices in the
 country except the one at New York l is urged by Mir. MacVeagh. All assay work, he adds, should be done at New York at the hints.
 | Secretary MacVeagh announces his in tention of reforming the treasury depart ments business methods by scheme
 for the payment of government Jbliga- tions in such a manner as to avoid ex-
 change on government checks. He does not divulge the details, but apparently 1 contemplates the distribution of govern ment funds at convenient points over the | country for the payment of checks. He points out that pension checks, for ex- ample, in many instances are not really | worth their face value because the diff
 cuties of collection enforce an exchange charge.
 | Other recommendations by the Secreta y 1 include Construction of four revenue cutters and a building programme of al | least two cutters yearly in future power presses for the bureau of engraving and printing; provision for disabled and old members of the life saving service; re- tirement pension for civil service em- pioyes; complete revision of the oleomar- garine law; legislation for the prevention of the opium traffic. and the creation of bureau to Supervise the expression
 of laws" cooperating with Congress to
 make their meaning plain to executive of- fidfals who enforce them.