Mr. Chairman. this bill does not cover a very wide range. In the Fiftyninth Congress. in 1906. we passed a naturalization law with rather stringent provisions. Among other things. we provided that the clerks of courts could retain onehalf of the fees that they took ili under the bill. the other half going to the United States. except that we placed a limitation on courts. such as exist in large cities. that they could retain half of the money up to the amount of $6.000 only. and that out of that half they should pay their clerical assistants and expenses. Of course it was obvious that in some of the largest courts it might be that that $3.000 would not be enough. and so the committee and the House inserted this language: And in case the clerk of any court collects fees in excess of the sum of $6.000 in any one year. the Secretary of Commerce and Labor may allow to such clerk. from the money which the United States shall receive. additional compensation for the employment of additional clerical assistance. but for no other purpose. if In the opinion of the said Secretary the business of such clerk warrants such allowance. Under that language the Secretary of Commerce and Labor attempted to make some allowances. but in August. 1907. the Comptroller of the Treasury ruled that the language was ineffectual. because there was no way in which the Secretary could tell from the past whether in the future there would be a $6.000 year. and no discretion was conferred on him. The Comptroller of the Treasury suggested an amendment which would cover that case. allowing the Secretary of Commerce and Labor. in his discretion. to make an estimate upon the experience of this year as to whether there would be earnings in the next year. and to pay the clerk hire out of the receipts from the courts up to. but not exceeding. the fees collected in any one court. that is. that no clerk can receive for all naturalization purposes put together more money than he takes in in fees. The provision was drafted by the Comptroller of the Treasury and was reported by the committee unchanged. except for slight verbal amendments.
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naturalization