The sun., 1870-06-06
PRICE TWO CENTS
AN EASY ROAD TO FORTUNK
ANOTHER MYSTERY IN OUR CUsroR
HOUSE MIsMANA0EMENT

An Investigation OF which Somebody hsA
Wind Beforehand-what Puzzled ths
Cigar DenIers-who Undcrsold the Mar
ket-Rclatives In the Custom House. !!
The cigar importers Of this city discovered
some months ago that few Of their number were
underseng the market from Is TO % per cent. ana
ct this TO other) disastrous reduction In prics.
were apparently thriving wonderfully well. Cigars
that ordinary importers sold here at ts5, gold peg
thousand (makng. at this price, only very moder~
ate pront-say 10 per centl their more lucky COM
petitors were able to sell at 800, currencya oios-
eueo Of over $40, currency.
rus HONEST oyrIciAL.
For long time the undersold importers suffered
In silente, seeing their trade slipping out OF their
hands but finally, by dint OF close watching, aided
BY their knowledge OF Custom House mismansge-
ment at this port, they came to the conclusion thas
the underselling firms received assistance from
Customs oricisl. Now one OF the dealers who
had bcen underseng the market, namely, W. T.
Thomas Of 10 Beaver street, had brother occupying
tie responsible position OF cigar appraiser exam
iner at the Custom House. their very natr-: con-
cluson was that II was througs ,c,s bonest oS,c.,
III at somebody was cnn,cd TO sell al such remarks.
bly, low prices hs eoon as they became convinced
Of this met Trey complained 10 the chief OF the Cus-
..c..a, House. lie promised to
THINK IT OVER,
and they, knowing their man, communicated their
suspicions TO the authorities in Washington. Wills
tie Collector Of Now York was immersed In thought
or slumber on Friday, May e5, a peremptory ords
from Washington reached him TO appoint experts to
examine oil the invoices Of cigars which by the
Columbia on Me- 1.s % and to compare them with ,bs
goods sent. The nrst set OF " experts" sppointed
the story the street has ny consisted Of clerh
To down retaiI and oid ~
gar smuggler. who delighted In selling smugele<
cigars and then LODGING information agsinst the
who bought them. THIS action brought out anothsi
protest, and accordingly on Thursday last
THREE REAL EXPERTS
were snpoin,ed These were Meesrs Robert
Kelley, 81 HEAVIER street. Otto Maior 70 Beaver
street, and George W. Fsber, % Beaver street, al
experienced importers and business men OF welI
known prooi.y. These gentlemen worked ve1
hard AZ the examination, drring Friday and Sntur
wss to have been expected finding no fraud or At
tempted maud. There were some fow discrepancies
", oq. e,e o. any imporer Is liable 70 make
Is TO be made to day. and will OF course thoroughly
vindicatc Mr.. Appraiser Thomas
HOW IT COULD BH DosH.
But the undertaking continues, and. although thin
examination proves nothing Dts advent having pro-
badly been known and amply guarded against by
the parties concerned), the suspicion remains.
cent ad toior added to which are stamp % cssrrs.
Of $500 per thousand, entry iees &C. making in ali
gold In Havana weighs say 10 pounds per thousand
and Tie weight tax at a. 20 per pound win theref2r
numerous other small charges swell the tax 10 al
most the original cost OF the cigar. II dealer has
| tho
APPRAISER AT ms COMMAND,
However he can easily save a great proportion d
the dd pdiorem tax, which In itself Ia splendid pro
| OF. There are other Ways In which the Appraiss
mentioned. The importers, although they are geno
rally tar from communicntiye m to the rres. on thh
largely interested In this cigar business, aud that bs
| undersells them continually. The other firms theI
DIT but ss both Of Tie latter srm. e DO business SV
other goods, II is possible that they afford 10 N
SELL CIGARS AT A LOSS,
making up the deficiency by large profits in oths
goods. But W. Il. Thomas deals In cigars only, 'ant
can therefore scarcely afford 10 sell less than BIZ
competitor unless he can buy cheaper; and he can
| not do that for the Havana market is as regular a
any OF our own The inference is, therefore, thu
he saves on duties.
GETTING ALONG IN rHE WORLD.
One year ago, W. 7. Thomas had a small ONCE sus
a limited business a. a. Is BrC ID street Now he is
| brother, MI Appraiser Thomas, appointed cgaI
appraiser. 1t is said by importers that ". n Tlomi
pas mad extraordinary privileges at the Custom
House While other merchants waited six or eish
days for their goods, Mr.. Thomas and his frion 's
strongest rresumgtive proof agninst MIR, Apprsise,
Thomas is this; For eight years before he assumed
now one OF the Police Commissioner Of Brookiyn
and during all that time there was never a com
plant, excepting as to trivial delays which wcn
| the highest regard for Mr.. Briggs, ani
| although he was little too dgnihes
| (our informant called Il "stiffsh lke'O. they wer
| convinced that he as honest capable. and prompt
No sooner does his successor take charge than bus.
ness is delayed Goods scarcely get out OF bons
in less than Elk days whereas In Briggs time the
came out In two or three), and the market is under
sold by men wfo are suspected TO draw II mild q
| eyading part OF the customs duties No positiu
proois have been brought forward, but Il is probsbL
| that The present Investigation and the publicity
given II by The SUN will put a stop TO further opera
| tons OF the kind, at least for time.