The Portland daily press., 1871-05-22
DAILY PRESS.
MONDAY, MAY %, 1871.
The New York Custom uou-e
PORTLAND


The New York Custom, House.
| In Harper for June T. B. Tbo,pe has an ar
'ic'e on the New York Custom house which
s"es ra'her different impression in regard 10
na' institution in some respebts from that
WHICH generally prevails. For instance il an
pears that il is IL "p-
| MODEL OF ECONOMY.
Attached to all the departmonts os 90
| lon house are some eleven hundred cIaI.
whose united pay amounts TO abort go ms,
per month. The Collectors stated salayS' .'o1
annum is $4,000; deputy collectors. So, M" d.
From this last-named sum the remuneration
rapidly decreases down TO $500 per annum.
paid the humble sweepers and messengers -
Ihe customs on imports are collected i'm the
New York Custom. house at a cost of from
one to one and d half per cent-ereatly less
thah IN the internal revenue department, and
Just nall OF what il costs TO collect the i'm
posts IN England. In fact, so economically
conducted is the New York Custom house re-.
garding Its expenses that the Government
nleraiiy pays nothing; ior the fees collected
on en'ries, protests, registers, and other docu-
a',,, ! a!,nount, IN tne course of year, to a
sum quite equal to the salaries paid to ali the
olncers iegitrmately attached TO the denart.
ments. :" '"0 uepart'
THE COLLECTOR AND THE oFEIcv- -s,,,,,,,,,,.,
The popular idea of the business q, a w.,
ector OF the port of New York is that be =.
created TO distribute political rewards to nee
dy of1lce-seekers. This faIlacv comes Cr",,
many natural causes. His official dniias
which are arduous and most responsible. a,e
quietly performed. A thousand intricate
questions are constantly discussed affecting
the interests OF merchants, shippers, and inn
porters, oi Whlch the law creates the Collect
The arhtaP and hold l..
sponslble II he makes mistake. With this
responsibility upon his shoulders. he has add
ed To the legitimate cares and perp,exifies
those more annoying which come from his
pohlical relations with the administration
placing him in power.
He may make suggestions to the head of
the treasury Department which are of meal
.uiaVie pehenI 10 the commerce OF the coun-
try; he may lessen the expenses of the Cus-
tom-house; he may win golden opinions for
his good sense and patient industry from the
merchants and impOrters-but these things
call forth no public notice. They are not sem
satlonal, and the press is silent.
But The whirlggs OF politics, however in
slgnlncant, are sources of unfaing attention.
T2eRartisans and office-seekers, who often.
day ter day, block up the ante-room OF the
Collectors office, make public opinion; and
the press, though questionable advocate. is q
positive censor. The hopes, successes, and
dlsappolntments of few active, energetic in
dividuals excite more sympathy and create
more notoriety than does the faithful manage
l@ent OF the vast machinery which SUCCESSFUL
y and cheapy collects almost the entire i'm
posts OF the country, aud affords facilities 10 a
worlds commerce.
HUMoRS OF THE CUSToM-HoUsE,
Mistakes of newly y-fedged officials are some
times amusing. A newly appointed inspector
was sent to the w,-arf TO discharge a cargo
from recently arrived vessel. Some time
having elapsed, and no report coming to the
Surveyors office, the delinquent official, on
being questioned, stated that he had discharg-
ed the goods to the owners, without permits
or other "red tape" embarrassments, and ap-
peared to be thoroughly satisfied with this
easy and simple method OF discharging his
duties, without regard to the "duties" due the
Government.
Another new inspector received "free per-
mit," worded as follows: personal effects
old-officer examine" In the course OF time
the document reached its headquarters, in
dorsed. Examination waived, as no old of
fcer could be found"
Appraisers, by misunderstanding g badly
written invoices, and without personal exami-
nation, guessing at what was before them,
have returned colored cottons as Cologne-bot-
ties, plums as hams, and delaines as demi-
johns. 1t requires very little imagination to
comprehend how easily miserably constructed
chirography would, to superficial examiners
suggest the mistakes alluded to.
Odd or unusual things, coming before the
appraisers for the first time, often the oc-
csls'on OF ir,aiorous II not serious mstakes-
Some years ago a compound, from its texture
and smell, was pronounced lcorice paste A
specimen Lying around loose" was nibbIed at
and one of the officials who was suffering
1nDrnnpI n aI IA