ardizes these supplies as far as possible. It solicits bids in accordance with specifications and recommends their acceptance to the Secretary of the Treasury, and acts as a centralizing agency to maintain records of war material, supplies, and equipment available throughout the United States. 4. Division of Appointments This division has supervision over all matters relating to the appointments and other changes in the personnel of the Departmental and Field Service of the Treasury Department; the preparation of nominations and commissions of Presidential officers; the preparation of all bonds of Treasury officials, where required; the preparation and approval of the payrolls of the Treasury Department in Washington, and the preparation of reports relative to the personnel required by law or requested by Congress. It has charge of correspondence with members of Congress and others relative to appointments and other personnel matters and conducts correspondence with the United States Civil Service Commission and other departments relative to personnel matters and other changes in the service. The section of Surety Bonds of this Division is under the administrative supervision of the Assistant Secretary in Charge of Fiscal Offices. 5. Division of Printing This division has supervision of the printing for the Treasury Department at Washington and all of its outside services. It supplies to the offices of the Treasury, wherever located, all the printed material prepared for them by the Government Printing Office. It also supervises all printing done in the Bureau of Engraving and Printing for all Departments other than that which has a money value. Of this disbursing officers' checks constitute the largest single item. In addition to its duties in connection with printing this division authorizes advertising, upon the request of bureau officers, supervises and checks it, and keeps a card file of newspapers in which it appears. 6. Supervising Architect's Office This office was created by Congress to enable the Secretary of the Treasury to carry out legislation providing for construction, enlargement, remodeling and repair of all public buildings and their mechanical equipment under the control of the Treasury Department. In connection with this work the office prepares the necessary drawings, estimates and specifications and supervises the performance of the work. It furnishes the equipment, furniture, and miscellaneous supplies for the custodians' and engineers' forces which operate and care for the public buildings belonging to the government under the control of the Treasury Department, except mints, assay offices, marine hospitals and quarantine stations. The office also prepares all estimates and reports to the Committees on Public Buildings and Grounds of the Senate and the House in connection with all bills. for contemplated public buildings. It has charge also of the administrative work of acquiring sites, directs the movements of site agents, and prepares correspondence relative to obtaining cession from the states of jurisdiction over lands acquired for sites for public buildings. The office itself conducts all legal work growing out of its activities except the examination of titles to sites. With the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury it prepares plans, specifications, and estimates for buildings which other executive departments or independent establishments may be authorized to construct. During the war the Veterans' Hospital building program of $27,000,000 was carried out under its supervision. Upon request of the various departments it inspects temporary and rented buildings occupied by the government in the city of Washington. 73 CHAPTER 8 ASSISTANT SECRETARY IN CHARGE OF CUSTOMS, COAST GUARD, 1. Assistant Secretary in Charge of Customs, Coast Guard, and Prohibition Under the supervision of this Secretary, the Customs Service, the Coast Guard, and the Prohibition Unit of the Bureau of Internal Revenue are administered. The Prohibition Unit and Customs Service will be discussed in separate chapters, post. 2. Coast Guard The Coast Guard is one of the oldest organizations in the government, having been established originally in 1790 as a result of the need for the services of a coastal patrol for the enforcement of the customs laws and an organized armed force for the protection of the seacoast. Since the establishment of the Coast Guard, its scope of activities and services to the nation has greatly increased. The duties of the Coast Guard, in general, may be classified as follows: Rendering assistance to vessels in distress and saving life and property; destruction or removal of wrecks, derelicts, and other floating dangers to navigation; extending medical aid to American vessels engaged in deep-sea fisheries; protection of the customs revenue; the conduct of the international ice patrol in the North Atlantic Ocean; patrol of the North Pacific Ocean, Bering Sea and southeastern Alaska for the protection of the seal herds under international convention and the enforcement of United States laws; operating as a part of the Navy in time of war; enforcement of law and regulations governing anchorage of vessels in navigable waters; enforcement of law relating to quarantine and neutrality; suppression of mutinies on merchant vessels; enforcement of navigation and other laws governing merchant vessels and motorboats; enforcement of law to provide for safety of life on navigable waters during regattas and marine parades; co-operating with and assisting other branches of the government in the enforcement of the federal laws intrusted to their jurisdiction. 74 r 1. Mission CHAPTER 9 FEDERAL FARM LOAN BUREAU The Federal Farm Loan Board is charged with the administration of the Federal Farm Loan Act,1 as amended, and that portion of the Agricultural Credits Act of March 4, 1923,3 providing for the creation and operation of federal intermediate credit banks. The Federal Farm Loan Act was passed in order to assist farmers in securing longer term credit than could be furnished through the ordinary channels of commercial banking or through the Federal Reserve System. The Intermediate Credits Act of March 4, 1923, was designed to furnish to those who are engaged in live stock and agricultural pursuits credit of a longer duration than could be secured at the ordinary commercial bank, but not so long as that needed by the farmer for the purpose of buying land. Under these two acts other organizations were provided for such as joint-stock land banks and national farm loan associations. The oversight and regulation of all these organizations are in the hands of the Farm Loan Board. It is necessary that the Federal Land Banks and the joint-stock land banks secure the permission of the board before they make a bond issue. Likewise a federal intermediate credit bank must secure its permission before it can issue debentures provided for under the Agricultural Credits Act. This board has such incidental powers as are necessary to fulfill its duties and to carry out the purposes of the act creating the institutions for which it is responsible. 2. Purpose of Federal Farm Loan Act To lower and equalize interest rates on first-mortgage farm loans; to provide long-term loans with the privilege of repayment in installments, through a long or short period of years, at the borrower's option; to assemble the farm credits of the nation to be used as security for money to be employed in farm development; to stimulate co-operative action among farmers; to make it easier for the landless to get land; and to provide safe and sound long-term investments for the thrifty. 3. Agencies for Application of Farm Loan Act The Federal Farm Loan Act is applied through: (a) The Federal Farm Loan Board, consisting of six members (named by the President) and the Secre 1 Of July 17, 1916 (39 Stat. 360 [Comp. St. §§ 9835a-9835z]). 2 Act April 20, 1920, Ch. 154 (41 Stat. 570 [Comp. St. Ann. Supp. 1923, §§ 9835b, 9835ee9835ff, 9835k, 98357]); Joint Res. May 26, 1920, No. 45, c. 208 (41 Stat. 627 [Comp. St. Ann. Supp. 1923, § 9835ww]); Act May 29, 1920, c. 215 (41 Stat. 691 [Comp. St. Ann. Supp. 1923, § 9835hh]); Act March 4, 1921 (41 Stat. 1362 [Comp. St. Ann. Supp. 1923, § 9835k]); Act July 1, 1921 (42 Stat. 105 [Comp. St. Ann. Supp. 1923, § 9835w]); Act Aug. 13, 1921 (42 Stat. 159 [Comp. St. Ann. Supp. 1923, § 9835k]); Act March 4, 1923 (42 Stat. 1473). 3 42 Stat. 1454. 4 Act July 17, 1916, § 3 (39 Stat. 360 [Comp. St. § 9835b]) and Act March 4, 1923 (42 Stat. 1473). tary of the Treasury as chairman, which board exercises supervision over the entire system. (b) The twelve Federal Land Banks established in December, 1916, and a large number of joint-stock land banks located in various parts of the country, to make loans and issue their bonds and debentures to investors. (c) Many national farm loan associations organized and controlled by the borrowers themselves, each composed of at least ten farmers, through which associations applications for loans are made to the Federal Land Banks. 4. Federal Land Banks Each Federal Land Bank is managed by a board of seven directors; three elected by national farm loan associations and borrowers through agencies, three appointed by the Farm Loan Board, and a director at large, also selected by the board from a list of three persons having the greatest number of votes cast for them by national farm loan associations and borrowers through agencies. Each bank was organized with a capital stock of $750,000, which, under the terms of the act, is automatically increased by 5 per cent. of each loan made. The banks are on a dividend basis and have paid dividends on stock held by national farm loan associations. The banks obtain additional money to lend to farmers by depositing the mortgages which it has taken as security for farm loan bonds and then selling these bonds. There is no limit to the capacity of a bank to serve the needs of farmer borrowers so long as it can sell its bonds. They may accept deposits from the United States government, and may also accept deposits from national farm loan associations to be applied to the purchase of farm loan bonds. They cannot do a general banking business. Owners of farm land who are at the time, or shortly are to become, engaged in the cultivation of the farm mortgaged, may borrow from Federal Land Banks. Federal Land Banks are located in the following cities: District Number. States. Federal 1 2 3 4 5 Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.... 6 Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas ... Springfield, Mass. Baltimore, Md. Houston, Tex. Berkeley, Calif. Spokane, Wash. |