Historical
Documents from the Bureau's Founding
Bonaparte Asks House Appropriations Committee for Detectives
AG Bonaparte testified on Friday, 1/17/1908.
pp. 202-203
AG Bonaparte [AG]: There is one other matter that I want to mention because
it is in connection with a subject that is noted in my annual report. We are
obliged, as of course the Committee knows, to rely on the secret service of
the Treasury Department for certain work. They have gone up on us in price,
increased their allowance from $3 to $4 per day. That is per diem for subsistence.
Chairman [C]: You do not pay their compensation.
AG: Yes sir; during the time they are in our service.
C: Are they detailed from the Treasury Department to the Department of Justice?
AG: They are not detailed, we appoint them as temporary employees of the Department
of Justice. I do not want to be understood as in any wise criticizing that
force or saying anything about their work, they work under us very well.
C: How many have you employed during the current year?
AG: It would be difficult to say but the number would be considerable. Of course
they are not employed very long
It would unquestionably be a matter of
economy.
C: The reason I asked is that there is a specific appropriation for that service
and
a proviso that the appropriation should be extended for no other service
AG:
It would tend to more satisfactory administration and also to economy
if instead of being obliged to call upon them for this service we had a small
service
of that kind ourselves. I think the best plan would be to have a service of
that kind under the control of the Department of Justice and let it, if necessary,
assist other Departments in cases of emergency.
C: Have you ever employed secret service men who are engaged in that business
who are not in the employ of the government?
AG: We have to employ certain special agents from time to time.
C: I mean detectives.
AG: You have to have some detective service. We do not employ detective agencies
at all, but it is absolutely necessary to employ men to do that work.
C: In view of your expenses some years ago and in view of the fact that this
secret service is not a continuing necessity, is it not far better when it
is necessary to employ that service, that those employed by the agencies should
be employed temporarily by the Department, and then when their employment by
the Government ceases, they should go back to their respective agencies.
AG: The necessity, Mr. Chairman, for such employment by our Department is practically
continuous in this sense, you sometimes need them in Minnesota and sometimes
in Texas, and sometimes somewhere else, but you do not need a great many, and
you must remember that the class of men who do not work as a profession is
one you have to employ with a good deal of caution.
C: They are not always a high type of man?
AG: No Sir.
C: The force you employ in the Government are men who have acquired their efficiency
in connection with the Detective Agencies, are they not?
AG: In some instances.
C: The Treasury Department does not take "green" men?
AG: In some cases. I am not informed exactly
Hearings before the Subcommittee
of the House Committee on Appropriations
for
Deficiency Appropriations for 1908 and Prior Years on Urgent Deficiency Bill,
pp. 202-203