Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-10-12
From the New York JoRrnAi Of Commerce.
Secretary Cobb and the Labor COntract at
the Public stores.

Considerable comment has been INDUCED in re-
specting the system of performing the labor at
the public stores in this city, which put under
contract for fixed sum per annum in the early part
of last month"; substitute for the system hither-
to in practice of employing laborers by the day to
perform the required service. Different opinions
are entertained in different quarters to the pro-
priety of the new system, and we are aware that a
strong protest made to the Secretary during his
visit to New York against the change, which had
already been determined upon. We do not propose
to enter upon discussion of the merits of the two
plans at this time but rather to notice of the
assaults which have been made upon faithful pub
lie officer without, we think just cause, and to
EXPRESS what we believe to be the sentiments of the
commercial metropolis respecting the motives and
conduct of that officer upon the question to which
we have alluded.
During the present Administration Secretary
Cobb in pursuance of principle demanded no less
nv the public sentiment of the country than the
financial exigencies of the Government, has sought
10 reduce the expenses of collecting the revenue by
such A system Of petrenchment and reform the
nature of the service would permit and to this end
has materially reduced the force in nearly all the
collection districts throughout the Union At the
customhouse in this city the reduction of clerks and
other officials employed in the various departments,
which took place on the first Of July last effected
saving of ninetythPee thousand dollars per annum,
This did not embrace the labor department at the
public stores and the Secretary aided by the agent
at the Treasury Department Mr. J. Is. GuthPle) and
Collector Schel of this port has since been engaged
in maturing measures for a corresponding reduction
of the expenses in that branch OF the service
Whether the mode adopted is the best which could
have been chosen, whether, indeed an equal reform
could not have been effected by simple reduction
of the force to the lowest standard compatible with
an efficient discharge of the duties required, are
questions which we do not care ~ this connection
~ dispuss Il is however quite cRPt4iq that, had
the mode last suggested been adopted, there would
have been howl OF dissatisfaction on the part OF
politicians. from congressman down TO the most
humble laborcr employed In the stores; and the Sec
retary would have had pPeciPitaied upon his eleva-
ted head a shower of epithots and OF designation TO
which tine present instalInent bears no aqeqnate
comparison. ,,I,
Be this as it may, what has been accomplished
through the contract with Messrs. Mcintyre, Cfalg
& "a Il simply a saving in the annual expenses OF
performing the labor ut the Public stores IN Broad
Street of nearly one hundred thousand dollars per
annum as compared with the cost in preceding
wears In other words. the labor winch mas cost
hitherto about s23OOO0 per annIm mas Deeh phnsr
taken by the contractors for the sum OF about Slo
OO0 But as there are some expenses lncldeniai y
the new system the total saving will not prooabiy
reach the full sum of SlO0,OOO. which may Dc SCI
down at from $4,000 to $4,000, which added 70
the saving effected by the changes made in July
makes reduction in the cost of the service at tins
noYt alone of not less than $751; 600 per annum.
II il mstteP Of uotOriety here that the reduction OF
the force and revision of the system en- the first OF
July has in no way effected njuriOusly the interests
or the convenience of the merchants having trans
actions with the customhoHse; but, on the contrary
has in many instances materially facilitated the des
match of business If the same results shall attend
the change in the labor department-and the expe
rience of . month renders it probable that such will
bo the faet-then will the public service be better
performed than heretofore at a greatly reduced
rost-a fact highly cFeditable TO the Government as
well as TO those who are charged with the respon
sible management of its interests o. this point
We have deemed this exposition due alike to oul
readers the Secretary of the Treasury and the hu
merouS individuals upon whom the duties OF tht
revenue sepviee at this port dew olive inasmuch al
systematic efforts have been made in some quarters
TO misead the public with regard 10 the matter
Perhaps the most scandalOus Of all these HndeFtak
ings has manifested itself in the columns OF TN
Mobile Daily Register, through Its New York cor
1-espOndence. The statements there put t0FtA,
continuing some grains of TRUTH are nevertheless 81
cbar,red with malice and with error, that we arr
onIy surprised that they should have found thei
way into so respectable sheet. The mixing up o
half the leading politicians Of this city with the con
tract made by the government with Mcintyre, Cral;
& Co. the magnfying of the amounts tnbe receives
under such contract, and the effort to connect tn
Secretary with corrupt combinations and appliances
all 90 to pro We the anmus of the writer, and mo
tive ANYTHING but creditabe to those who prompte'
| his productions.
| NncIliSf gstthA PuhSuSu
the best or only one 10 accomplish the end sought
is not material to the present inquiry but there
no lodging the fact Of the reform and saving in tn
| expenses and there Il no reason whatever Tor be
ieving that the Secretary Of the Treasury has bee
actuated by other than honorable motives IN IN
| course winch he has taken in the premises, In
deed, it seems probable that any complaints Whic
| have been made by fair-minded men were Prompte
| chiefly by an opinion that the contract might hay
been placed in better hands than those TO whom
| has been awarded. But since the government ina
annie security for the service to be performed, an
since the work has thus far been done to the publ
satisfacton. we are aware that this case wiz
| a legitimate subject Of complaint