The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-06 00:00:00

The Custom-House Officers.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUS. .at Of
SIR,—You are no doubt aware that during the fle„issi-peti-
-1864 the officers of her Majesty's Customs presertt_,,,v—iuto
tions to the House of Commons praying for an hiclu'Lifer.
and redress of the grievances under which they
That their complaints were well grounded and still e-
in
I shall soon show, in the hope that the public, beinvog
possession of a few facts, relative to the unfortuneta spite,
tion of the department in behalf of which I n°vir Y 4
may see justice done to a hard-working, well-doser
body of civil servants. of
The Customs realises the largest amount of raven „ilea
any department under Government, the duties 1104°1 er
by its officers are most responsible and laborious, t°
tent unknown to the general public. Notwithsto the
this, when their case is contrasted with the clerks in pity
Inland Revenue, who perform similar duties, the dithe
of payment is such as to cause great dissatisfaction ,1
Customs' clerks. Take the Estimates for the currolt
1864-5, and look at the amount voted for the clerics 10 ry''
'
first six offices in the Inland Revenue, viz., the secre,t3tiee,
"
solicitors, receiver-generals, controller of legael ,"}, the
accountants and examiners, and compare that win
the
amount voted for the clerks in the first six efaces;l;lef
Customs, and you will find that the average in the trot'
is about £69 per man more than the latter, while, 6'o; the
ing office by office, where the duties are the sanly'
average in several cases is still higher. et of
This, and almost a total absence of even e Pr°sPe Oct/
advancement, has caused many young men who
in the Customs, and had passed a first-class clam stc-
before the Civil Service Com • sioners, on becetn"; to,
quainted with the position and prospects of the serli-c -coma
bettor
resign in disgust and 'betake themselves to
brighter fields of action.
It is but fair that the public should know, told e-21,1A
those who contemplate sending their sons into t longer
In
that there are young men—some, alas, are 11° nd;111,,,f'5
that category—who have served her Majesty ftwocl
clerks in the Customs from six to twelve Sears, an
now receiving in London, where all the 01)%pe '
ei •
necessaries of life require a frequent and heavy
the pocket, the pittance of from £9O to £lOO 13°,111 tIO
and this, gcan assure you, is no common case' decla
another Sir Robert Peel would startle the house wfing 00."
ing, " Would you believe it, gentlemen, that 9, Y°7,itiCe
before he has a salary of £3OO must serve in tlie; 5011
which I allude 10 or 12 years ? " £3OO ! ! In trt
may serve all his days in the Customs and neVer re' cAele'd
amount. Surely the Government and the public Try' °-
mean, by their selection of the stamina of the 00' ppe°
their grand competitive examinations for oface7_,,,tc'd
young men in service of trust and responsibilitY, L'"1:0/00
them a remuneration so small as utterly to debar thieliel 614
occupying the social position in life to which
entitled. t
t ell, •
All that the clerks in the Customs ask is to be •rlider;ee
equality with those in the Inland Revenue. 11‘,11 l 0 cl
ment has been steadily advancing for years, ',6„,01w-tse '''''ll
measure is an equivalent for the reduction in
pecuniary incomes ; while the poor Customs, tiotJa'j
guided and parsimonious economy at its head, hag
'he°
heart, with the increasing wealth of the countrY stoP "fig
prices of all the necessaries of life, to recommend iafi 5 18°'-s.
yond the usual cheeseparing system that has bee- o-0.44
followed in the establishment at Lower Thatc: oti°,lo
The consequence of this is, that the whole del3n;,,,' peair
a state of positive discontent, threatening t° ;,,f petit„.°oo
efficiency of the service generally. Petition a",' tolf
still keep pouring in, which produce seeiniegj'aite'
effect, viz., a testimony to the wide-spread cli°-1
cl'
that prevails. not °lair 5
There is another question which I haTe of 01
upon, but which is well worthy the consideratioe
o.r
corning public, and that is—Why are the sPeriiii.eg---jil'et:ci
the public service—the War-office, Admiralty,
paid than the earning ones, viz., the Custonle t:ita
Revenue ? For myself, I can see no good and ovs'Or

kor this anomaly.—l am, &c.
Feb. 27, 1865.

PAPER IN CALIFORNIA.—The cottoll ctllPtf
mtraigdehint hthaveebeen expeeted, severely tried ',O
numbertu te an industriouso fChinese
countries
a
having led to a na fnl borderingsal coonmtrahue
riP:t: i :no.
tilt3e:::::.i:
fornians of
The local paper who emigrate thither, and 113°4, pg.:::
regular intercourse betWeeu --,tio (i/
China, and
there with Japan, the idea has suggested itself to " 0,
number,
out any prospect opening
permaanupfaapcetroritraesdearowitthottlagievlstitnesr;:cltol:
mpraeksseisng. Of the three supply the large amount ' ' to& co
ee of the article conott otettir
country, there beingonlythree paper-rai.liaerei:s: of
ilitllaeo
while the call for of
3.86131:eed051111lOg C1,3,1i1l °I
Fs
eluding
Sandwichmakespaperthe Islands, is sent from San Fra'neisco, 'to it '
nerall
very Lagretswit from New York and Bostoa, Icil a in 010;
China and Japan raanufactur° ;at olio
Californanida, theo igtobnirdNebiadl;dicii ',,e' ,
culable quantity of paper, which might be 00'
_„400 t°4
to San Fran •
New York. cisco, at much less cost than it could cv..„ tot v,
America, . Chinese paper, though different frow 00:
the
impressionlts of types beautifully, and povia N'eo
rent. greatest defect is its not be
_. of iv„
white, •
bamboo and
to its being made of the fibres asito,
is t 00; e 4,01,6
a serious and mulberry tree. Again its size
drawback in the case of newspaper priiitlijos vre f
daily i
in America. But if European paper untch log
introduced • into China, ul tors aro ta eotd
as some spec a bat c° 010
doing, the
wouldsupply that might be drawn from t
050 ja
amply suffice for an present calls, and til
future for many years to come.