The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-15
DEMOCRATS RECORD
UPHELD BY M'ADOO
Sees Only One Verdict II 1920
Campaign Is Waged on
War Issue.
CUSTOMS MEN HEAR HIM
Ex-Secretary Calls for Simpli-
fication of Archaic Rev
enue Laws.

tary Of the Treasury. addressed the con-
ference Of collectors and appraisers OF
customs yesterday In the Custom House.
He spoke Of the need for simplincation
of the laws under which the custom
service Is operated, defended his policy
OF increasing the wages Of certain
Glasses Of railway employees as Director
General Of the Railroads. and also the
war record OF the Democratic party.
His address was received with enthu-
siasm BY the members Of the conference.
most OF whom received their appoint
mehts during his administration. After
his speech Mr.. McAdoo held q reception
and chatted for half an hour with the
officials present.
In opening his talk Mr. McAdoo said
that 1t had always been a source Of re-
sret to him while he was in office that
he had never been able to attond one of
the conferences personally. although he
had originated the plan OF holding such
meetings. HIS spoke Of the Importance
OF the customs service in the admins
trative structure OF the Government and
predicted that the immediate future
would see the usefulness of tho service
Increase rather than diminish.
Dimcult to Get Reforms.
Referring to the archaic character of
the customs laws, he said:
No one knows better than you gen.
tlemen that these laws are unsuited to
the present times, You know also how
hard 1t In to obtain reforms In laws that
are Of long standing. You know what It
Is to go before Congressional commit
tee. have no criticism to make of
| Congress, but one of the reasons why i
| established these conferences was to get
| you men to suggest and recommend re-
Forms In our customs laws to meet the
| needs or the present day. Now. no man
was ever treated with more considera-
ton by committee of Congress than !
| was. but no Congressman and no Sena-
tor comes into personal contact with
the problems Of the service as you do.
In this great new era---it Is q great
new era. and how new we do not yet
| fully realize--we must make the customs
service as simple as may be. To be
sure all the laws bearing on the subject
| are not administrative some AFFECT the
tarin and l have no time to talk on the
| tarin You all know IL and live with IL
and believe are very fond Of 1t, but
we must devise some means to simpli "
the collection of customs duties, the
methods Of arriving at what 10 taxabls
anc In what amounts and thus help
both the American public and strangers
| who come among US. e
| Unless America pursues a broader
method in expanding her business, we
cannot expect prosperity In this coun-
try. If we do not simplify our laws and
their administration We will fail in oul
| great opportunity. We must sell our en-
tire exportable surplus to prosper, but
we cannot do this unless We allow other
| countries to sell US something; they viii
| not be able to pay the balance agains
them n the balance Is all one way"
| Mr.. McAdoo discussed the Pan Ameri
can Bureau and Its relation to national
affairs The organization had worked
we'll, he said. not only in creating a bet.
ter feeling with the countries Of Latir
America but in expanding our trad,
with them.
The rank and file Of the customs serv.
ice. he said, were deserving OF a sub
stantial increase in pay. II introduced
an appropriation to meet that situation.
he said, something more than a mil
lion dollars, l believe. and all I could d.
at the time. / wish that I had hat
authority 10 deal with this matter as
had with the railroads.
G. o. p. Criticisms Peeve Him.
why, gentlemen, 1 found that Their
were men getting as little as $B7
month on which to maintain families
The situation on the railroads was q dis
grace to America, and America took ad
vantage Of the opportunity to do a grea
service to humanity. Men who wer,
getting s75 a month received s25 NOR,
and SO on up the scale.
| I'VE hear criticisms OF government
control OF the railroads and are tolt
that they serve better under privat
than under public ownership. II wha
was learned when l had control is
good answer, then criticism is false
There is no cause to become indignan
because a Democratic Administrator
waged successful war. Did the Re
publicans want Germany to win becaus
the Administration was Democratic o
are they as patriotic as the boys VIII,
went overseas and fought for freedom
II did not come here to make a politi
cal speech. but I want to say that 4
the coming campaign Is TO be waged Of
that issue only there can be bu
one verdict and that in favor OF tn
men who championed humanity an
fought as our glorious soldiers did T.
retain 1t unsulled. Just where tho PEG
pie stand will be seen when 1890 come