Evening star., 1923-02-18
Mellon an Enthusiast
In Work of Treasury Department

greatest problem tnat CoHA6oueoo
him. the Secretary said:
Probably the greatest problem 10
TO find time to give thought to the
many questions that arise, for II must
be remembered that there are many
questions coming up, every day. This
department of the governme ent has
the supervision Of. many activities.
some of which are in no way related
to the matters OF finance. Take. for
instance, the coast guard. That Is
matter that should. IN my opinion.
be under the direction Of the Navy.
Originally, however. II properly be-
longed to the Treasury Department.
because II was formed for the pur-
pose OF preventing smuggling into
this country. which would deprive the
government OF revenue.
Our work Is very comprehensive.
There is a good deal more to 1t than
to the other departments. There are
numerous unrelated bureaus, some OF
which are Of sufficient Importance TO
engage the attention of one man.
taking up practically all Of his time.
but am indeed fortunate in having
In this department those who are
well trained In the execution OF the
duties OF their several Offices.
'Tn this connection I want to call
attention to the fact that some OF
the men In the Treasury Department
are working at night as instructors
and without extra pay. These men
ty,{, nffi q
ployes, in order that the work may
be done more quickly and with
greater degree Of efficiency. l visited
ore of the classes the other night
and there were sixty employees pres
ent. It shows remarkable devotion
TO duty. and those engaged In the
work arc entitled to great credit"
WHEN the Secretary was asked il
w the government were not losing
numerous experts In the different
branches OF the department over
which he prcs.des. he replied:
Yes. there have been a number OF
excellent men who resigned In order
to better their condition, and GER
tainly one cannot blame them for
that They have shown special apti-
tude for the kind OF work upon which
they were engaged. Some firm or
corporation has heard about them
and they have left the department
Yet under existing laws. II Is not
possible for me to pay these men
more money than they arc receiving
at present
I'VE are doing a business Of about
So, o0o. 100000 \ -ear. 1t would not
pay these men the salaries they could
get On the outside and the govern
ment would have permanently a
rorce OF experts that would undoubt-
edly be OF material assistance IN its
service"
Secretary Mellon is heartily in favor
os the plan OF rearrangement that
has been proposed, for. he said:
Take, for instance. that part OF
the government devoted to the en-
fo-cement Of the eighteenth amend
ment 1t rs a legal activity. not a
financial one, and 1t should properly
come under the Department OF Jus
ttce. This also applies TO the enforce
ment Of the narcotic Law.
The public health service is, like
many Of the other divisions OF the
Treasury, g. spending department. and
does not properly belong where 1t is
placed today. Let US also take the
office of the supervising architect.
that has charge OF the erection. main
tenance. etc, of federal buildings.
This division Of the Treasury's activt-
ties properly belongs in a department
of public works.
TT must be remembered that the
Treasury, primarily is a financial de-
partment Ono must not forget that
one Of It's divisions-the internal reve-
nue-.s the largest business concern
in the United States and Is charged
with the collection Of taxes. In nearly
every large city in the country there
are officers and collectors whose duty
Is to see that the government re-
cetves these taxes.
Then in the ports OF this country
there are hundreds Of customs off,
cials who must see that the duties
called for BY law are paid. There are
men also engaged in the work Of
classification because. under the ex-
listing tariff laws, there are many
products that must be skillfully and
carefully classified In order that the
government may receive Its Just dues
and the importer not be overcharsed"
DURING your interview you have
u had an opportunity to study Sec
retary Mellon. and II you have never
sesn him or studied his picture care
fully you might have gathered the
impression that he is a large. cold,
business machine, but as you sit look
ing at him you see a rather slender
person whose slight figure is garbed
in quiet but we'll fitting clothes. HIS
hair is gray. His eyes are blue, but
not the cold, penetrating steel blue
eyes that fiction writer's generally
place in the heads Of bank presidents.
On the contrary, they are rather mild.
but when you mention the work Of
the department there is Frightening.
for the Secretary of the Treasury
finds his work most congenial. AS
he sits conversing he slowly smokes a
small. brown ali-tobacco tiny cheroot
1t is not a cigarette. neither Is IL one
OF the things they call a "stosie" in
Pittsburgh.
II a question is asked, let US say
regarding the, amount Of interest that
will be due the. United States FIVE