The New York herald., 1870-05-27
THE CUSTOMS CARRIAGE.

~~>~~~~~~--~-
How tho Old System Operated-ssmc Of tho
Barefaced Swindles Of Importers Tricks Of
Trade and Traders-The New System-Afs
Advantages and Safeguards.
variety OF conflicting statements have appeared
from time to time In the columns OF the daily Jour
mails in regard to the new system OF carriage 0f
customs goods adopted by Collector Grinnel. and
that the readers OF the HERALD may fully under
stand the workings OF the new bureau the following
compiled from ofncial sourcos Is inserted:--
Under the Old plan OF carriage the merchant and
importer were permitted TO carry their goods 10
bond, and from this fact alone thousand abuses
were born. The Inspector, discharging vessel de.
signated the cart to carry sample packages 10 the
seofe f ard ba ~ "a @ seovs Where he
valuation was affixed have been changed ana, a5
examples cask OF wine, worth ave dollars per gal.
Ion. would all under the manipulation OF 1ntereSe cd
parties and wine pump and an inferior quality VI
liquor forced in. The valuation or The balance
low rate Of the Inferior wine already appraised.
Choice silks, velveis satins and coTsets have been
changed for poor linen. and the government de, Dc,
enriched Notwithstanding the fact that The govern.
ment has lien upon dutlable goods the officers OF
any cartnan bearing rmit, anl rs no record WIS
made OF cart or drayman II fraud occurred the
guilty party could not be found. number OF
the United States employed cars and drays,
aud the inspectors discnarging their ships would
would prompt-tne goods perhaps, that according TO
law were MOI to pass rom me custody OF the officials
OF the United states until the duties were PAID. The
prices caarsed by cartmen TO the government Tor
packages taken to the pubic store amounted 10
ree cents per Se oy sa9 an s
cartmen charged each package as load. The con-
tractors under the old sys.en were under 5000
bonds-an amount often a more bagaiee to the
va.ue OF their l0ads-and under this bond any mum
Der OF carts could De employed. To the merchant
and importer thel contractors used used ,s,aia sliding
Under the Old system the front OF the dray was to be
marked ecu tom House lcense,n &c. La many
cases The pOn was maraed on cart fronts Win
piece Of chalk or lampblack, or perhaps a board
easily removed and loaned from ono cartman 10 an-
other. Licenses In amount bore no proporu 70 ne
goods often carried anu .in many instances carts
would SILL retain their Custom House guarantee
long after The bond OF the license had expired Coz.
iscG0r Grnneli determined To reform this scandal
upon the revenue service, and after mature deber.
alton, concluded upon the following system:-
The collection district of New York was subdivded
into eight carriage districts. and 0r eacn dstiict
there should contractor VINO should give bonds
of his contract TO cart customs goods and each cart
employed should he bonded in the sum OF $4,000
Mr. Grnnel received agwasds OF one hunqea pas
said the Collector, sis that the contracting
parties shall nave loyal records, capacity + tat
| work and means to carry II on" With STRICT I'M
partlallty the contracts were awarded, the price;
per load were nxed and upiiorm--thrty per cen
less than the old rates tie government and thirty
three per cent less to the merchant and importer
ana the load was also fxed at 1,2Ou pounds
tor which the contractors receive fifty ceni'
Il for the first half mile and sixteen cents iO
each additional half mile. and are not permitted tt
charge lhe CONT acCors at their lrst meetinl
matters conneclei with the customs carriage are He
fered, subject to an appeal TO lhe Collector BY tht
i new system none but bonded carts are per
mitted to ride duiab.e goois. and recor.
is on file at the ONCE OF the bureau Of ever!
package carried by the licensed cartmen. TIT
re- aept given Dy the the drayman TO the inspector h
aIso i ed and with the check q the sorekeeper VIII
received the goods In the public store iOrms com
pete chain, ana II misdemeanors occur the Uolecto
can at once determine the guilty party. The bureal
au0rds facility t0 merchants and others to ascertain
| the whereabouts OF missent packages, tue receipt
Tne following exniDit viii more fully explain th
Ia March. 1859, un the old system. l5,o o pack
ages were taken 20 the pubic store, Tor which TIL
government paid $7.s4l. In March OF tn@s year, AM
under the new aysen, 16 346 packages were carried
for which the government paid sd,725-belng 1,27
packages more caIted To tile public store than II
q last Of nd o. ae eaps
loads TO the public store is paid into The Cartag
Bureau.
in February there were A. 493 packages carried Il
the public sore; March, 6,346 and In April, 1898
1t viii be seen Dy the Above thai the new system
all that is claimed for 1t by Mr.. Grinne and by it
If In the HANDS of RESPONSIBLE persons, the means
| saving iarge amounts annually to the governlnen
| and the merchant and the importer. In Ihe servic
| 0l the bureau are number of CLERKS agents ant
| others, and the aggregate amount received by til
bureau for lis SUPPORT from contiactos and mel
cAalr cartmen, from February to April l, Is $6,2ss
| or about $4,000 per annum.
| The Collector bases Ills authority on the Ware
housing law Of August ., 1S4e which declares tina
the Collector shall take session OF dullaDe good
| ana lodge them III the public stores until the daLe
| shall have been paid. The private bonded ware
| housing law OF March 2S, 1854 extends th
| provisions OF this law, provides merely IL
| private bonded warehouses under existing law
| and does moi alter or abrdge the power Z
the Collector In the premises. The Collecor durin
his administration has Instituted number OF re
forms, broken up countless rings OF plunderers, s.
long established that the participants began to loo
upon tile results OF their fraud as me legitimate fee
| or their onlces The Carriage Bureau his met wit
general favor, save with large houses who, ownin
their horses and drays employ te.r drayDlen py tl
/ week or month, aud disappointed bidders l0r Con
tracts.