The New York herald., 1870-01-23
THE CUSTOM HOUSE CARRIAGE.
A Protest Entered Against the New System
Visit Of Delegation Of Cartmen to
Collector Grinnell-How They
Were Received.

Yesterday morning the committee which had been
appointed at the meeting OF cartmen held last
Friday evening called upon Mr. Grinnell the Col
leclOr Of this port and presented to him Q re-
monstrance against the recent order issued by him
in reference to the carriage Of bonded goods. The
committee consisted for the most part OF representa-
tves Of the various steamship companies the
brokers' cartmen and a few merchants. They pre-.
sented ana read the petition OF the merchants pro.
testing against the new change and also read the
resolutions passed at the mass meeting held
Friday evening. Mr.. Grinnell very politely
received the resolutions and petition, at the
same time assuring his visitors that he was
determined to carry out the new system. The city
having been divided into eight different districts,
and the contracts IN each district having been let,
the papers signed and bonds given, 1t impossi-
BILE, he assured them, to revoke the order even II he
felt SO disposed. He was firm In the belief that the
proposed new system would prove greatly adyan.
tageous to both the government and the merchant,
as Dy the former would at least hrtyOne and
hall per and the latter thirty three ana
third. The Collector said he was fully determined
to correct the abuse that has so long
existed IN the carting OF bonded goods. 1t
was simply outrageous, the manner in which
the thing has been DONE Everything had been con-
Quoted in very loose manner and there had been
no system or supervision at all. Many OF the mer-
chants, Mr.. Grlnnen said had been induced to sign
the petition by misrepresentation OF the cartmen
and that now, since they nave learned the manner
in which the business Is to be done under the new
system, they regret their action very much. He
further assurcd them he determined, In spite OF
on the LIST day Of February next and shat he defed
any power IN the city or New York to prevent his
dong The committee, after making some re-
marks about submittlng the matter to higher au.
thoriiy. Withdrew.
Mr.. Grinneh assured our reporter that the whole
plan OF The proposed change has been aid before the
Secretary OF the Treasury and that he highly ap-
proved orit 1t is not at all probable that the indig
nant cartmen VIII obtain much sympathy from that
source.
In the protesr there appears the following para
graph:-"Tne cost or carting the goods must neces-
sarily be increased by the proposed change, as the
wages salary OF the District superintendent must
be paid ont OF the earnings OF the Custom House
cartmen" Now, IT is evident that the parties draw.
ing up and signing this paper were feariully gno-
rant OF the whole matter; for. where the merchant
LOCO pounds, he viii, under the new arrangement,
pay bat fifty cents per load Of 1900 pounds. and the
salary OF the General superintendent Is paid by the
| cartrnen after receiving these rates.
The great opposition TO the new system seems to
come rom the cartn1en doing the work OF the
| GUS lines OF steamers, nearly all OF whom put In
| bids for DISTRICTS but were unsuccessful because
their estimates for doing che work were by far too
| high. and from brokers' cartnen and few mer-
chants All or the latter class who have called upon
| Mr.. Grinnell and learned the proposed workings
| have not only expressed themselves satisfied, but
The following letter addressed to Mr. J. z. Lindsay,
Deputy Collector explains great deal OF the mat
| ter:--
SIEMy attention has been called article published
in the newspaper OF this date in relation the reg
stion of custom carriage, ia which they the rule
goes into operation that fifteen hundred will
be thrown out OF employment Now this Ia not true, for
there twenty carmen engaged in this business outside
| OF those who are employed by the various steam.
ship lines Admitting please that under the old
lation II required the above number OF carnen TO do
The carting, will not require just TO do the
work under the rule, and Just employed?
hand below the names of the cartmen who cart for
the various steamship lines: Cross carman Cunard
line; Mr. Brewer, cartman lnman line Mr. Holloway, cart
and ptevedore, Anchor line; Mr.. Mcdonald, carman,
| Williams 4 Guion Mr. Kirby cartman, Bremen line; Mr..
McDermott, cartman National line; Mr.. Anderson
Hamburg and French ine Mr. Dater, cartnan, Lon
don line.
win notice by the above that much the larger portion
OF the carriage confined the eight gentlemen named and
their interest identical with the of the line
here allow to call attention to the fact that tho
Of these lines all Foreigners and have
the government whatever Just right that these
PERSONS who allegiance to government should be
the custodans Of goods which actually belong the
ment until the duty paid? Under the old they have
always designated the caageen who should transfer these
20 the Appasers stores and bonded not
wthstanding the government pays the carriage.
suppose case Some person connected with the steamer
smugges goods would the cartman in the employ Of the
any MEANS he would be liable to dismissal at once or
getting hts employers steamer In difficulty A to the mer
chants cartmen cannot where the rule VIII inter
fere with them for one moment or why they cAnnot
their merchants goods where the duty paid YOU'RE uy
AQd VIII Erspecb WILLIAM N AAbEhGeVNs