The New York herald., 1869-08-29
IRE CUSTOM HOUSE.

A Nice Arrangement Between United States and
City Weishcrs Unearshcd-An Easy Way 70
Make Money. - e Z {.
It would seem that there is to be no end to the
discoveries that are being daily made by the Collec
tor and his chief representative a. to the prevalence
of frauds in certain departments Of the Custom
House. No person who knows anything at all about
the subject be ignorant of the fact that in the
various departments Of the Custom House there are
many "opp0rtunities'- the dishonest men calf
loose ways Of doing busIness-fOr pecuators to profit
BY and that 1t requires the utmost and nntring vtgi
lance Of the proper authorities to keep the public
crib intact. Although every now ana tnen the
clerks and others are stirred up by revelation"
that Mr. So-andSo has been found wanting as an
honest n,an-to put it mildy-the great majority OF
them being, of course honest are never aware OF
now extensive are the plans and ingenious the artl
fces made use Of by the depredators to gain their
unlawful ends In almost every fraud that has been
detected so far this feature Of decided planning
has peen prominent and in the latest one that has
been brought 10 light the underground workings or
the persons most unfavOrably concerned give ample
proof that it requires after ALL certain amount OF
brains Of certain kind to be an efficient-0r, 10
speak more Dointedly, an inenlcient Custom House
clerk.
A few days ago the '1atest fraud" above men
toned was discovered, and although the authorities
have not yet taken action IN the matter 1t is safe
to say that, 10 week or so, after they have accu-
muated the necessary evidence to make grand
disclosure, there will be q terrible shaking OF dry
bones in the Custom House. The persons who are
most implicated in the fraud are certain United
States weighers and the manner Sf their connection
with 1t Is given as follows:-They are paid regular
salary by the general government to do their work
pOying the necessary number OfabOrers aid them
In their work. Alter they have weighed for instance.
cargo OF tea say OF 10000 chests, The merchant TO
to weigh the chests or packages. as they are called
OF course the merchant pays the city wegher for his
whatever help he NAV require. The object Of the
cOnsgnee in employing the city wegher is Obvi-
ously to ascertain whether the United States wegher
has weighed his cargo correctly and to make sure
Of Its exact bulk. But 1t has been discOvered-and
here the fraud comes in-tnat the city weigher In
stead OF doing his work after being employed. goes
to the United States wegher who has weighed the
cargo he the city weigher is paid to weigh, and for
United States welghers figures These he, OF course.
hands to the merchant, and the latter, finding that
they correspond exactly with the figures OF the Uned
comes TO the conclusion that all ls right and that
such correctness denotes wonderful exactness In his
that o very large number Of United States and city
weighers are implicated In thlS Kind OF nefarious
business and that the collector is determined TO bay
them up with sharp turn. Indeed, 1t Is understood
that the men, laborers, who depend great deaf bring
the work that IS furnished them by the city weaher
when weighing cargo, and who are consequently
thrown out OF employment when the city
weigher buys the figures OF the United States
Wetgher instead OF weighing tue cargo nlm-
self and making out his own figures have
laid theirgrevances before the Collector. They have
besides furnished him with some very spicy racts
CONCERNING the mutual agreements that exist be-
tween the two classes OF weighers, which will no
doubt give Mr. Grinnell an insight into certain de-
partnlent OF the Custom House that he ana but few
outside the ring have been given before. 1t rs
alleged that many OF the United states weighers
have obtained as much as 5000 and $500 at one time
in exchange for their figures. There will certainly
be a stir among the weighers sOon The honest men.
however, have nothing to fear, but the guilty every
thing.