Evening star., 1924-03-10
CHAPTER XIV.
What the. Treasury Department Costs

WHAT tne. Ireosury Department CO0to
Andrew w. Mellon was sixty-seven
years old when he became Secretary
or the Treasury, He is a college man.
graduate Of the University of Pitts
ourgh in 1873. Since that time five
other nstitutions-Dartm Rut-
gers, New York University, Princeton
and Pittsburgh Military Academy
have "doctored" him with degrees.
He never held public Office before
March, 1921.
I do not care to mention names,
lout my principal anxiety is in getting
and holding able assistants" de-
clared Secretary Mellon in his spa
cious Office in the Treasury Depart
ment in Washington.
can an assistant secretary draw
Ing $4,000 to $1,000 year from the
government be blamed for leaving
the Treasury Department when he
Is offered $4,000 to $4,000 a year by
, some eastern bank,. The salaries OF
the leading Treasury officials are en-
tlrely too low. They should be ma
tSe 'Siiy i1d;nnansass increased That is those OF
ments, continued Mr.. Mellon, in a
quiet. pleasant, well moduIated voice
cabinet officer receives $4,000
year. This Is not enough. He can
NOT i've on that amount. With me
men II means abandonment of pub
nc lie for private life. Soon only
Ilcn men VIII seek the higher places
IN the government. That would be
unfortunate for the nation"
But, Mr.. Secretary, in your opin-
lOD, WhGre fadarol ~ o
l asked him.
Sees Harm In Salary Cut
surely not in cutting the salaries
OF essential and important govern
ment employees" replied MIR. Mellon
such a procedure would be only do
ing a vast injury to the public serv-
Ice OF the nation"
almost bashful type. He will make
an explanation of some fiscal policy
OF the government and then apologize
lot what he considers an awkward
way way OF expressing his point Yet,
ieat TO the PRESIDENT. Mr.. Mellon is,
ers, the most important man in the
ofhcfal life of the nation. As Secre-
tary OF the Treasury he has vast
power.
He is chairman of the Federal Re-
serve Board. chairman of the Farm
Loan Board. chairman OF the War
FINANCE Corporation and chairman of
the World War Foreign Debt Com
mission. He has been given power
70 NIX interest rates on all of the
szz.0oO,0O0.ooO of government obliga-
tions. In word, he comes near to
being the financial dictator of the
United States.
In the organization necessary for
the management of the national
finances the department has one
undersecretary- of the Treasury and
three assistant secretaries. Besides
these men there are numerous bureau
heads
On June 80, 1923, there were ss. 900
men and women living in Washing
ton and working for the government
out OF this vast number 1899 were
working in the Treasury Department
1t Is far and away the most impor-
tant department at the capital There
are more employees in the Treasury
Department in Washington than in
the next three largest departments
combind.
$30.00O.Ooo for Customs Refunds.
Now let us look a little closer into
the work and expenditures of this
great department of our government
l. This department spent 319,774.-
600 in general current expenses for
the fiscal year 1923. The greatest
part of this was for two items
shlhh iCS iiio pOpflC ucpC service. fOr
1924 these particular items are in
creased in the budget by about
S1,200.OO0.
2. Then comes the customs service,
spending s41.247 .000 for the fiscal
year 1923. OF this 1,200.0 900 is paid
for collecting customs revenue, while
s29, ,SSS, 900 is for refund in the customs
service. This seems like a very large
item. More will be said later re-
garding refunds.
5. We will combine at this point
several bureau expenses. The
treasurer of the United States spent
$1,571.0 900 for 1928. He Is asking an
increase of about s125,oo0 for 1924
The bureau of the budget a mos,
important bureau. spent only $4,000
in 1923; the controller of the cur
rency, s257.oo0: the bureau OF the
mint, S1.282 600, and the federal farm
loan bureau, 1854, 900. The secret
service division of the Treasury spen,
s407. 500 and is asking for about $40. 0oC
for 1924.
4. The coast guard is a bureau
which should not be in the Treasury
Department But it is For 1923 II
spent $10,462, 900. This is increased
by approximately 100000 for 1924
Much Of the work of prohibition en-
forcement comes under the supervi-
sion of this bureau. The present ad-
ministration Is asking for $4,000, 900