Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-10-02

WASHINGTON ID. c., Oct. 2:-The
average American citizen gets in
the habit of thinking of his govern
ment as a huge machine which slow
ly grinds out legislation, execution
and Judgment, proceeding along
beaten paths from day to day, from
year to year and even from genera
ton to generation. While this may
be true of the stability of the gov
eminent, it is by no means true OF
the detail. The American govern
ment is changing constantly, not in
general form, but in important mat
ters Of organization. Only Sv passing
under a review a period CT a few
years can a full realization be OBJ
tanned of how great the changes are.
The American government grows like
the banyan tree. 1t sends forth new
branches which come down. root
ANEW in the ground and, In turn, send
out still other limbs.
The Presidents status has not
greatly changed, yet in a decade his
duties have increased enormously.
He has scores more of important APP
pointments to make than he had ten
YEARS ago and his duties I've o
so heavy that serious consideration
Is being given a proposal to create
an office Of assistant president. A
decade ago., the idea of n President
personally addressing congress was
unheard Of; today 1t is recognized as
a definitely revived custom which
doubtless will be followed for gem
erations. The splendor of President
ial inaugurations too, has passed.
President Wilson. President Hard
ing and President Coolidge bn"a been
indicted into office in the last de-
cade with the simplest of ceremonies.
Whereas, ten years & the Presi-
dent saw only a few newspaper cor-
respondents and writers occasionally
and had. thus. only a limited direct
contact with the reading public, two
conferences weekly with all accredl-
ted newspaper men have become
regular app continents Of the chief
executive.
Even the staid old department of
state, the stern old mother-in-law
of the government, has put on new
frills in the last ten years. What
with new treaties and agreements
and commissions. the business of the
department is largely different from
what it was ten years ago. The army
anu navy IlhNV BAONh w ~ PVAAAs
where they would scarcely be re-
cognized by an officer of 1913 who
had been absent In the meantime.
New ranks have been created and
new organization put into effect. The
marine corps which a decade ago
was q small adjunct of the navy Is
q great and thriving BODY OF men
with an almost independent organic
alton. Development in the air SER
vice of these military branches is
one of the measures of progress.
Growth of the Treasury
The treasury reveals some of the
most striking changes. A decade ago
the customs constituted the chief
source of Federal revenue. Today
these receipts. though greater than
they were in 1913. are dwarfed be-
side the collections arising from the
internal revenue laws such as the in
come tax. The tax bureau. which in
1918 occupied a few rooms in the old
treasury building has grown so that
several new buildings. n larger
than the original treasury itself,
have had to be built for 1t. Ten
years ago there was nc federal re-
serve system, NO farm loan system,
no intermediate credit banks and no
war finance corporation. These
financial and monetary agencies
which are now regarded as of in
estimable importance in the affairs
Of the nation, all are either a part
Of or closely allied with the treas
ury and not one of them existed ten
years age. The sub-treasuries which
then existed are history, the twelve
federal reserve banks having absorb
ed their functions.
The post office has not changed
so much as some OF the others be-
cause it's function is narrower but
there was a period, during the war,
when IL ran the telegraphs and tele-
phones of the country. There has
been notable growth in the volume
OF business 1t does, in postal savings,
parcel post and such matters.
In the department OF the interior
are to he found such important new
egencies as the bureau of mines, the
national park service md the federal
power commission. These are out
growths Of old work done by the de-
partment but that old work has been
so enlarged and altered that 1t
scarcely is recognizable. The oil
lands leasing act has been passed
and has revolutionized the manner
OF handling mineral lands.