Speech #800023467

In asking an increase of $6.650.000 for 1948 the Bureau of Customs requested $1.668.186 for new and additional employees. It asked for $1.172.061 for Customs Agency Service abroad. which in the opinion of the committee. after receiving testimony. could well be handled by regular attaches of the Foreign Service. Since Attorney General Tom Clark recommended that the border patrol of the Immigration and Naturalization Service and the Customs could be merged without impairment of duties the committee felt that only half of the $1.543.259 requested for patrols on the Canadian and Mexican borders was sufficient. These figures add up to $3.611.877. or $111.877 more than was cut from the estimates. It is entirely possible for Customs to make further savings. thus adding some personnel to port work. and without curtailing any vital service. by eliminating some of the comptrollers of customs. some of the Customs Information Exchange personnel. some of the temporary field employees. some of the "when actually employed" people. some of the temporary day labor. some of the overtime and night work.