Evening star., 1923-02-18
By JAMES A. BUCHANAN.

In0 1T0dSuIS
morn until late at night the
custodian of Uncle Sans strong pox
Is devising ways and means TO sake
guard the many millions OF dollars
that are In his keeping. Not only
must he see that every dollar OF the
peoples money is kept from oeins
stolen by bold bandits. but he must
also keep an ever-watchful eye on
what the men on Capitol Hlll are
trying to do with the money that be-
longs to the hundred and odd mil
lion people that go to make up this
country.
IT has long been an acknowledged
fact that the Secretary Is sort OF
safety valve for Congress for. from
the earliest days of the government.
there has been Il disposition on the
part OF legislators to pay more heed
TO their constituents demands. either
Just or fancied. than to the conserva-
t.on OF the money that rests in the
vaults Of the nation.
Taxation Is the great outstanding
question that every Secretary Of the
Treasury has had to face, for large
L. upon him falls the blame for an!
, increase in taxes. The public is prone
to say: What Is the matter with
that fellow, anyhow? Here we give
him hundreds Of millions Of. dollars
and he cries for more. What has he
done with all the cash we have dug
UP from our pockets? Why, he gave
so much money to this and SO much
10 that. Does he think that the only
thing we have to do = to work our
fool heads of so that lie can scatter
our money around like isrmer
sowing wheat"
The public does not stop to think
that the Secretary OF the Treasury
cannot spend a dollar Of the vast
sums in his Keeping without an au-
ehorisation BY the legislative body
Of the government. People generally
do not understand how the govern
Inent Is run. They have never been
told just what their government
should mean to them. and until some
tHise President organizes q real In
formation bureau, the public viii re-
main in the same mental condition
that it Is today.
The post OF Secreta.-y OF the Treas
ury 10 looked upon by those who are
familiar with the dutie8 OF the Of
Ace As being one of the hardest In
TIE cabinet There never has been
a. man i'll the Office that did not have
q hard row to hoe, and from the first
Secretary. Alexander Hamilton Of New
York. down TO the present occupant
OF rae position, all have had their
lrouh,es.
IIAM1LToN'S term ran from Sep
i tembe- II. 1889. to January 81.
.7e5, ss4d it was made possible by an
act of Congress, September ?, 1888,
t.iat provided:
There shall be, at the seat OF gov
,ernneat, an executive department to
Sbe known as tb: Department Of the
iTreas.ry and a Secretary OF the
Treasury, who shau be the head
Thereof"
About IS per cent OF the Goid-that
10, the monetary geld Of the world
lis In the keeping OF the Pittsburgh
banker. and while the average per-
son says, mentally, fine" to have
SO much money. really 1t is con-
eIdul VI WHY 10 O.
ways the possibility of something
going wrong. Some Of It may be
stolen. 4 financially unwise act may
be passed by Congress that will make
great tnroads ON this pile OF yellow
metal, and besides that there Is al
ways the danger that the great heap
Slay become too large for the safety,
not only Of this country. but OF the
whole world, a fact that economists
appreciate. There are many other
reasons that men who deal In
naarces in a large way Will under
sane
The duties Of the Secretary OF the
treasury are, briefly, that he shall,
from time to time. digest and prepare
pIans for .he improvement and man
agemcnt of the revenue and for the
support OF the public credit; shall
superiutend the collection OF the pub
Vic revenue; shall grant, under limi-
tations of law, all WarrantS for
moneys 20 be issued from the Treas
ury in pursuance OF appropriations
laadc by Congress, and shall report
and give Information to Congress in
person or by writing, as may be re-.
,ouired. respecting all matters re-
ferred to him by the Congress which
SHALL pertain to his office.
Until the fiscal year beginning
July l, 1921. the Secretary OF the
Treasury annually submitted to Con-
s-ress estimates Of the probable reve-
uues and disbursements of the gov
ernment This duty will in future
,. Darforoed under the budget and
accounting act Of June 10, 1891. by
The President Of the United States,
the budget having been prepared in
rhe bureau Of the budget, located In
the Treasury Department, and trans
,nitted to the President for that pur-
nose. The estimates. which were Tor
nerly transmitted to Congress by the
Secretary of the Treasury and con-
stituted what was known as the
"book of estimates" are now calied
the budget In the budget, the esti-
mates Of the expenditures are pre-
sented In a form which classes them
by executive departments and inde-
pendent establishments.
eY>HE Secretary Of the Treasury also
has under his control the coinage
~ metallic money and the printing or
raper money. In addition, there come
Under the administration or the
Treasury Department although not
related to tho finances the coast
Guard, the public health service and
rho Office Of the supervising architect
the last-named having charge. under
vxSs ~ n