The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-31 00:00:00

Amalgamation of the Customs and Excise.

4a-- --
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR,—I accept your publication of my letter de-
precating the duplicate and triplicate moden of Cus-
tom-house business, as exemplified by the circumlo-
cutory system in obtaining accounts from the
Inspector-General of Imports and Exports through
the Treasury and Board of Trade, as at once a chat.
ienge and a permission to develope the remedy—an
amalgamation of the two offices—which 1/hen pro-
posed to glance at upon a future occasion.

Allow me to premise, for the information of your
readers, you doubtless being aware of the fact, that
the returns of the Board of Trade are all prepared
at the Custom-house; some being pubEshed after a
period of a week's gestation, precisely as there pre-
pared, while others aro reproduced in what is
thought at the West-end an improved form,
although probably the public would not think so,
had they the opportunity of judging between the
two.

You will thus see that, in addition to the evils
involved in this duplicate and triplicate system, so
ably exposed in your leading article, we have the
further and even greater evil of delay—and delay
in the publication of these accounts often makes the
difference, as I need not tell you, between their
being invaluable and valueless—which would ba at
once remedied by the amalgamation of these two
offices. For I assert, without fear of contradiction,
that were they under one control, not only would
the monthly accounts of the trade and navigation of
the country be published a week earlier than they
now are, but the publication of the yearly blue book
would be accelerated by at least three months.
In proposing the amalgamation of the Accoun-
tant-General's Office of Excise (also a statistical
department) and the Inspector, General's Office of
Imports and Exports with the Board of Trade, I
have not the vanity to suppose that I have hit upon
any great or wonderful discovery; but, on the con-
trary, I am quite aware that I am merely advocat-
ing the application of a principle which has been
twice tried within the last ten years; orce. in the
amalgamation of the Coastguard with 'the Admi-
ralty, and a second time in the junction of the Re-
gistrar of Seamen with the Board of Trade, a per-
fectly analogous case to that now recommended,
and in both instances to the manifest advantage of
public business, and to the greater economy as well
as better working of two important public
departments.

The suggestions offered is the bringing together
under one head and control the departments before
named, when, instead of three offices involving
" circumlocution" and delay, we should have one,
which would, there can be no doubt, result in an
important saving of time in the despatch of busi.
ness, as well as of cost in the respective staffs of the
different offices.
Of course if it were found that there are facilities
offered to public business in having a branch in the
City, as is the case with the Office for the Registry
of Seamen, it would be easy so to arrange that it
should be handy to the Custom-house, and yet
derive all the advantages from being attached to
and one with the Board of Trade. The great object
being the immediate publication of the monthly and
annual returns as soon as rendered, and the eepara-
tiun of the statistics, as in justice to the Customs it
ought to be, from the expenses entailed in the col-
lection of the revenue.

The arrangements necessary to bring about the
harmonious working of the whole are matters of
detail, which would be out of place in your columns.
But I may fairly state, as far as my knowledge
goes, there is no obstacle which is not capable of
easy removal, could we only get the same amount
of intelligence and goodwill brought to bear offici-
ally upon the subject that* produced the great re-
forms of placing the Coastguard under the control
of the Admiralty, and the Registrar of Seamen
under that of the Board of Lade.

For can there be, as the evidence before Mr.
Horsfall's committee generally went to show, any-
thing more monstrous or unjust to a great public
department tha❑ to mix up the expenses of the sta-
tistics of the country—the classifying and arranging
the articles in the tariff—the collection and averag-
ing the prices for the computation of the real and
official vales of the imports and exports, and the
preparation of returns to the two Houses of ]Parlia-
ment—with the cost and charges of the collection of
the revenue.

Indeed, this la3t appeared to be a question in
which the testimony of all seemed to agree; the
Commissioners of Customs having themselves origi•
naked it i❑ their annual report. Then why, is the
natural rejoinder, have not these reforms long ere
this been brought about? Simply, I believe, from
the prevalence of that spirit of red-tapeism which
" grows with the growth and strengthens with the
strength" of all who have been long connected with
the Civil Service, leading them to regard all change
with disfavour and repugnance. There itia natural
tendency in the " Covenanted Service,"
"Stare super antiques vies,"

and to look upo❑ any deviation therefrom as revo
lution, and a suggestion of the outside public as a
child of the devil.

Even the chairman of the Board of Customs, able
and intelligent administrator as he undeniably is
of that groat dep.rtment, and often as be hes sug-
gested and carried out import nt and useful reforms,
appears under the glamour of some spirit of "Trea-
sury traditionary lore," that stays his hand and
paralyses the activity which has characterised him
upon other occasions, when approaching this ques-
tion. So much is this the case that I believe there
is but one remedy, namely, that asked for in the
numerous petitions presented by the Customs'
clerks to Parliament, a committee of the House of
Commons, thoroughly to examine and sift the
question, by calling before them men practically
acquainted with the business of the several depart-
meats, and not too old to suggest as well as carry
out the improvements demanded by the spirit of
the times and the changes brought about by the
extraordinary increase in the wealth and trade of
the country.—l am, sir, your obedient servant,

STATIST.

P.S.—By a typographical error in my previous
letter "circumlocutory" was printed "circurn-
ventory."

THAMES EMBANKMENT,

TO THE EDITOR. OF THE SUN.

Scottish Granite Company's Offices, 36, Cannon-
street, London, E.C., May 30, 1884.

SlR,—With reference to the letter from ‘c Ob-
server" in to-day's Times as to the granite to be
used in the above undertaking, I beg to state that
on the 19th of January a contract was entered into
with Mr. Furness, the contractor for the first por-
tion of the Embankment, and on the 26th of March
a similar contract was entered into with Mr.
Ritson, the contractor of the aecond portion, to
supply the granite necessary for the foundations,
from the celebrated quarries belonging to his Grace
the Duke of Argyll, in the West of Scotland, the
first cargo of which has arrived in the Thames this
day.
Reference having been recently made as to the
quality of the stone to be used in the remaining
portion of the Embankment, permit me to state,
with regard to the question of durability, that this
granite was selected by the Commissioners of
Northern Lights in erectiNg the lighthouses in the
West of Scotland,. by the Fishery Board for build
ing the harbour of refuge at the Island of Colonsay,
and has also been extensively used in the Liverpool
Docks, New Westminster Bridge, the Graving Docks
Est Londonderry, the Glasgow Waterworks, the
Nilw Harbour Works at Greenock, and in many
other important undertakings.
I have the honour to be, sir, your obedient
servant,

WILLIAM WHITE, Secretary.

MR. HENRY SiNIART'S CANTATA, to be produced
at the Birmingham Festival, is " The Bride of Dunkerron."
Tho story is taken from an Irish ballad by Crofton Urdker,
and has been written in its present lyrical firm by Mr.
Frederick Enoch.
THE RIBBON OF THE LEGION OF HONOUR 1165
been given for literary reasons to Mr. Roche, the writer on
French Grammar. Mr. Roche is settled in London, and is
w.ll known in literary and artistic circles.
HERR ERN STS CONCERT is postponed from yes-
terday till Monday next.