The Cordova daily times., 1922-08-04
FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 1922
THE TREASURY ROW OVER

For long time the doctrine that the world does move Las been accepted as authentic. And it is becoming increasingly evident that we move with it. The case of Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Elmer Dover, of Tacoma, proves the latter contention if nothing else does. Mr. Dover has turned in his resignation. 1t was to be effective as of July 15 but he has been prevailed upon to serve for a somewhat longer period. That does not alter the signif- icanca O. the happenings in which he has been concerned. The moral is still there
 The resignation of Mr. Dover is construed by those who have observed the difficulties Ill the Treasury Department as the result of a conflict between the spells system and perm anent tenure of public office in which the spells system came off second best. That IS why it is hailed as the harbnger of new day, though whether this particuler new day be in contestaDly synonymous with a better day re mains for the future to prove.
 Assistant Secretary Dover the political manager of the Treasury Department. It often happens that when eXigencies of the moment call to the head of any executive department of national, state or city government high class expert not hitherto identified with pub lie life, but chosen for his reputation for tech nical efficiency, his appointment IS accompan- jed by the appointment of deputy or assist ant who knows the ropes politically and IS expected to look after that aspect of the de- partment $ activities.
 When Andrew w.. Mellon was named secre- tary of the Treasury this situation arose, and Elmer Dover was his political running mate. The two terms of Democratic incumbency had left in the Treasury Department many "de- serving Democrats' whose jobs were coveted by Republican politicians. MT. Dover started to grease the ways. He soon came into conflict with Commissioner of Internal Revenue Blair over removals and transfers of some of the atter's suhordinates. A nasty situation arose. It reached it's climax when the now celebrated list of "Democrats'' who should be dismissed was made public. The list, on minute examin- ation, was found to contain the names of many Republicans.
 Secretary Mellon backed Commissioner Blair in the controversy, taking the position that in these troublous times especially he did not intend to have the taX-collecting efficiency of his department interfered with by politics. The TOW finally reached such proportions that it required the presidents attention. If the resignation is accepted the incident will be closed.
 This outcome will cause the hard-and-fast advocates of civil regulation to rejoice greatly. In the broader sense their rejoicing will be justified. But the personnel of the bureaus was under fire before the Dover incident develop ed Charges of incompetency were not con spicious by their absence. There was no req son to suppose the changes MT. Dover pro- posed would have reduced whatever incom- petence was sheltered under the civil-service regulations because his method contemplated nothing more than changing one kind of in competence for another. There still remains the task perhaps more likely to be executed successfully after the present stress and strain have been banished, of laying hands upon the bureaucracy that thrives under the dome of the Capitol and raising the standards of pub lie standardization Chronicle. ~