838.51/2316: Telegram
The Chargé in Haiti (McGurk) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received August 27—11:20 a.m.]
101. The issue of the Moniteur of August 20th which appeared on Monday last contained the following laws promulgated by the President:
- 1.
- Opening an extraordinary credit of 3,000 gourdes for repairs to the National Legislative Chambers.
- 2.
- Increasing the salaries of the employees of the Secretariat and employees of the Chamber of Deputies. Both of the foregoing laws were Government projects.
Mr. Pixley told me that his accord was not requested before these laws were promulgated. He did however tell me that the Minister of Finance had informed him of the first law regarding repairs to the building of the Chamber of Deputies and that he told the Minister that he would give his accord when the project was submitted to him. Nothing was said about the law authorizing the increase in salaries of employees of the Chamber of Deputies.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs has been absent from Port au Prince on account of illness until yesterday when I called on him and directed his attention to the fact that both laws had been promulgated without the accord of the Financial Adviser. He said that he knew nothing about them owing to his absence from his office but that he would look into the matter. This morning I again called on him and he stated that the Minister of Finance said that he thought Mr. Pixley had given his accord to the first law when he had spoken to him in the conversation mentioned above and that he had forgotten entirely to consult him regarding the second law. Mr. Léger said that he had called the attention of the Minister of Finance to the seriousness of his action in not consulting the Financial Adviser and that the Minister of Finance would immediately communicate with the Financial Adviser. Pixley said he will give his accord to the first law but if his accord is to be given to the second law it will have to be taken into consideration in balancing the budget and this requires approximately four thousand per year additional.