New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-05-09
Cruou.IlovsF. NV YoKx.Ju

Reeeived from Edward Gurus, t. collector al ID. Gus
toni. hF-s hundred and twenty aais ami ssned
dupiIcat. receipts. J. T. g. WAITE.
i. does .pperr. from any thing in ,l~ BIZ. or
other OF similar character which have been rendered by
the same Prs1as ihat t.e paper on watch the printing OF
oaak. executed. OF which the printed ann booS,
was composed. supplied by usfa tbtre benz. no item
tor paper. The conciIsOn therefore - that the MATERIAL.
were furnished by TIE custom housc and that Ihe b we're
vie out sr labor only. Ii hs inference be c1rr-c Il
rsse, u4e>e bills 10 egt beyond any thlag which has
come under the notice OF te coaI oi"f~ Auo1hrr class
O bin rendered by Henry Austcr are, 20 ome respects,
fslleg below the standard OF bls paid ~ Mr. HosL but
in sen'ra the prices tor the ame articles ooespcsd With
IN q ifa.u0n
The article Of steel pen, is usually charged
ten Fer centum higher III tie bill, PAID oy Nj.
Curt, ;haa those paid 10y Mr.. iloyt. CONNER
cial -and. the market price Of which il stated by
Mr.. Felt {, be FIFTY cents per tu>hc. which he III
iorincd the Commissioners would give pro.t to
the merchant Of 200 per ccntum, was PAID Tor b!
Nh Howl at the rate Of sl2 per bu.hel. IAi-
Article has been reduced By Mr.. Cur,i, 10 = per
Ju,hel. OF - cents per quart. Til, !, a greater
reduction than can be fo.ud in any other artic.'
supplied u the Custom House. \ concise narra-
tive Of the correspondence between Mr. Curtis
and the Secretary OF the Treasury, relating TO *
pcndilurc. incurred By him for books, stationery,
ard printing. for the first eight months after his
appointment to the office of Collector, j. deemed
necessary. IN corncxon with the bills actually
rendered aud paid by him during that period 70
exhibit in clear Il -ht tie various and conflicting
representations which he made to the Department,
from time to time, on this subject. In the last
quarter OF Mr.. ioyts term Of Office, including the
month Of March, 1871, there Wa expended III
stationery alone ,hc sum Of 3 72l 90. which, had
it been economically invested would have supplied
the Custom House abundunily for at least one
wear Mr.. Curtis cane into office on the 22d
4
tioncry on hand. subject to hi- orders. The first
quarter Of Mr.. Hoyt', term Of Office, commencing
on the 1T day of April 1888, being the second
quarter Of that year, his stationery bills. including
appraisers, slorekcepcr, and inspectors, amounted
to S2.0l8 81 The same quarter of the year 1889,
these bills amounted to $3.lll l8. And in the
same quarter of the succeeding year, to the sum
of$i,022 85.
A. above stated, in the first quarter OF the year
1871, being the last of Mr.. Hoyt's term, hi.
branch Of expenditure reached the enormous sum of
1921 &c. the benefit of whics accrued to Mr..
Curtis a. he came into Office before the end of that
quarter The stationery bills of Mr.. Curtis for
the second quarter of the year 1871, inluding APP
praisers storckecpcr. and inspectors, a in the
case of Mr.. Hoyt in the second quarter OF the year
1888. amounted to the sum of =. 81. being
Sl8l 90 greater that the expenditure OF MIR lloyt
in the first quarter OF his term OF Office, not
withsandiag the supply already in the custom
house. before referred to- The first letter address
ed by Nr. Curtis, the collector to the Secretary
Of the Treasury, on III" subject OF stationery OF
which thecomnissoncr hayeany know edge, bears
date October %. l64l. In th, letter Mr.. Cur
ii, Informed the Secretary that, in the absence Of
instructions from the Department, he had contln-
ued to supply the custom honsc. a heretofore, AT
4. u.
however. that the bills of stationery and printing,
since have been in office, show very great dImi-
mutton of expense FOR these items and have no
doubt that my orders have been supplied as cheaPly
as they could have been after public proposals.
II is certain that the dimiuuton sf expense which
Mr.. Curtis alleges would appear in hi bills OF sta
tonrrv and prin ing Is not To be found IN any such
bill furnished by him. or the auditor under his or
,ler.. to the commissioners These bills have been
before commented on. and will speak for them
selves Mr.. Curtis SAYS be has no doubt that his
orders have been supplied rs cheapy a. they could
have been after public proposals. 10 test the ac-
curacy of this conclusion, at which the collector
seems to have arrived, 1t will oaly be necessary to
compare hi, bills with the testimony OF David Felt
a wholesale sia,oncr Of long standing, who was
particularly called On 10y the desire OF Mr. Curtis.
Ia examine the prices paid 10y him for booSs, pens
paper printing, and Other articles of stationery
and compare them with tn selling prices in New
York.
Mr.. Curtis was supplied with steel pen, by
Mcs,r.. I. &. \ j. Waite. at $40 per gross. Mr.
Felt fixes tho market price of that article at 81 80
per gross for that class of pens used 10y clerks in
mercantile houses and public Offices. Can Mr..
Cuui. say thar these pens were supplied To him
n chcaply az they could have been obtained after
"pubic propcial, !' By referring to the deposit
ton If Mr. Felt it will b. seen that every article
OF stationery and book, included in the bill, paid
ly Mr.. Curtis, i charged at least one hundred
per cent above the selling prices in New York {;
and the same remark i applicable 10 printed
blanks and other pHliing done tor tic Custom
House
Mr.. Fell farther states, IN supplemental d.,
po.iion. after enumeraing the prices OF every arti-
Gle of ia'ioney books, and printing, that be would
have supplied the custom house, in large or small
quantities. n ordered, vi.h the whole of these arii
chs, at the prices couiaiacd IN hs deposition. l.
IL possible that Mr. Curtis could have been % en-
trely ignorant OF these prices aad OF the terms on
which lie might nave supplied tie custom house,
Il. 10 ai.oH himself 10 say that Il would appear,
b. hi, bills, that he had obtained them cheapy
from hIch stcrs, or retail dealers, al private pgr-
chase. they could have been bad after public
proposals. H. had made this declaration to the
Secretary OF tie Treasury in an Official letter, in
the .a,c OF the most enormous balls rendered by
him 90 IN, Commissioners, and Of tie evidence Of
Mr. Felt. hi. own witness. who states. under oatf.
that be would have supplied the Custom House
with the sans articles at prices at least one-half
below those paid by Mr. Curtis.
Custom Hou~e sales OF Burnt and I'm.
claimed Goods by Auction.
Connected with the subject OF siorehouses and