e and
quality of the ships. Some of them were sailing vessels, most of them
were of wood, and the modern ones were unnecessarily large in size. I
created a commission and all the officers except a few who were too old
for active service were subjected to an examination and those who were
found incompetent were discharged from the service. Their places were
filled by young, active and well qualified men.

A commission was appointed to consider and report upon the size of the
vessels that were best adapted to the service. Three reports from
successive commissions were made before a satisfactory result was
reached. Finally, a report was made by Captain Carlisle Patterson,
that was approved by me and by a committee of Congress. The
recommendations of that report have been followed, as far as I know.

At that time the Mint Service was without organization. Each mint and
assay office was in charge of an officer called superintendent, but
there was no head unless the Secretary of the Treasury could be so
considered, as all the business came to him. Upon my recommendation
Congress authorized the appointment of a Director of the Mint, and
upon my recommendation the President appointed Dr. Linderman, a
Philadelphia Democrat, but a gentleman familiar with the service.
Under him the service was organized and made systematic.

When I took charge of the Treasury Department there was no system of
bookkeeping and accounting, that was uniform in the various customs
houses of the country. Each port had a plan or mode of its own, and
there was no one that was so perfect that it could be accepted as a
model in all the ports. The books and forms were made and prepared at
the several ports and often at inordinate rates of cost.

I appointed a commission of Treasury experts to prepare forms and books
for every branch of business. Their report was accepted and since that
time the modes of accounting have been the same at all the ports. The
stationery prepared is furnished through the Government printing
office, at a considerable saving in cost, and clerks in the accounting
branch of the Treasury are relieved of much labor in the preparation
of statements.

Upon the transfer of Mr. Columbus Delano from the office of
commissioner of Internal Revenue to the Secretaryship of the Interior
Department, the question of the appointment of a successor was
considered. The President named General Alfred Pleasanton, who was
then a collec