New-York tribune., 1871-12-04
THE HARBOR PIRATES.
HOW THE COMMERCE OF NEw-YORK Is
RUINED.

THE EXTORTIONo OF TIE
CORRUPT ALLIANCE WITH THE TCG-BOAT
OWNERs-HOw THE swINDLING IS DONE.
The gradual decrease in commerce, loss in
population falling OF In business, and visible nactlon
throughout the great shipping interest OF this metropolis
have demanded and received the earnest attention OF
TaE TRIBUNE md extensive investigation mas resulted
in exposures OF the shameless e1tortons
practiced by Quarantine officials, port-warden' and
harbor-mascrs Feeling that tho trade OF New.
York depends in great measure upon the ENCOURAGEMENT
which commerce receives from the city government TIE
TRIBUNE has hoped by showing that all the difficulties
Of which shipOwncrs complain, are the direct outroWtn
Of tho corrupt Tammany Ring, to inspire reform ID
such departments under the control OF the city,
Tho appointing power although vested in the State ai
thOrtics Is within tho reach Of tho citizens. and Com
mittee Of Reform appointed by the Chamber Of Com
mercc TO investigate the alarming disclosures made by
THE TRIBUNE, WILL 1t !, generally believed remedy these
evils TO commerce, by bringing tho perpetrators OF
the ou!r1gcs before tho Senate and Governor,
with such evidence to render their re-
inOval certain. Tho Ship-owncrs' ard Vesscl-owners
Associations have appointed like committees. Of
energetic merchants who will labor efficiently In
junction with the Chamber Of Commerce Committee.
The dag az hand when the reform movement
shall have abolished all the causes OF n w-York's
L,hted commerce. An efficient board OF CT Coninis
sinners, an honest man at Quarantine. an ncorrup'ibc
captain % the pOit aul unscGh harhor-nas.rr aro not
beyond the hopes uf the merchants of South Pearl and
Beavcrsts.
Invested With legal power which gives them snprcm-
acy over tho OF New York, the harbornascrs
have it in their power to enforce the collection OF cx-
t,r,ionatr fees 70 extent uncQualcd perhaps hy any
other set Of public Officials They have lost sight
OF the clause in the law which makes them the absolute
judges a. to whether vessels loading unloading,
whether berth IL occupied vacant; and il il iro-
qucntly discovered by the unfoI tunae whose
vessel is moo:ed in sin, that his berth has been de-
care "cnptys and sold TO else II is not sell
Dom that the loading unloading OF vessels sorpcl
before completed aad the ship ordered To seek another
,rr at which to discharge.
The regular fees Of the hrbor-mastcrl, estib,h dly
statute give each average income OF $500 per year.
The text Of TIE liw4s:
Banks satu:es Vol H. 49, Sec -" The har .hl haze
% % s 1 9 h% s 1 a. M TSs, .,, .. rg & a. % a s5y 1
ai ef one ar Of "ar rer cent .r conrui
th~ HnD'se 's er or oA.H e; sa." s.is
,lip vessels which shall 'ni enter to said port.
ion 'c TIE AM III: @: .'e, ahov" sPec'A.L"
The ncOuu i!,iS out oi these reasonable charges the
barbyrma,tcrs than uLcruplc Tlc 0wncrS OF the
warvc- and piers alhOnch raying from $3.50 - s7og
To the Dock tonuissloners are prevented, often FOR
DAY at a time from having their docks full, and thus
losr fees which they arc Justly entitled.
No content with tho direct taxation Of vessels when
they reached the docks the harbor-masers entered into
a compact with several tow-bOat companies for the
better yscioatizng Of cir extortions and to screen
their cxnciOnS from pubic knowledge The boat ii:ms
In question arc e. F. Raymond No. -6l soutst William
Marshall, No - soulhst; Parker Gibbs No. 8. south
ST. Chamberlain Hewlett, Nos. 50 and LOO SUuth-st.,
a,d jacob Hrnyon, NJ. 70 Wcstst As explained to
TRBXr reporter by of tho ring" the game con-
sisted in charging exorbitaDt rates Tor thc
towing, aui after paying 10 per cent u
midlcman appointed 10 receive the money, turning over
remaining surplus above their regular charges to this
p.:son for the hsrbor-nastcrs benefit. For this ex
torton ana enrichment OF tho officials these Arms
to receive exclusive right to tow vessels to tho docks
If ScwYork Tlia compact WAS duly entered nto and
til. harlor pledged Themselves to uplioM this
direct outrage upon New-York shipowners To explain
fully II "a vessel is moved from Martins stores to
Pier No 5. the tow-boat agents send bill to tho
owners Of M6ni SIS TO s5O-varyng according to the
urgency with which tho ship-owncrs desire to
have their vessels berthcd The legitimate fees
do Tot exceed SO The uc-boIt captains pay to the
harhor-ina,tcr's agent the whole received minus
the So and this. minus the 10 per cent wl& the middle
man rctaiu-. paid again by him TO the harbormas;er
in oroOn The bills Thus rr' sntcd to the v"sselowncrs
do not bear their faces any connection with the har
boI-iuarter, ~ lii, ioow,i saiurc VIII show:
NawionS, sept. H. n.
rr'r. .,~r. l.arf aaa .iam fle'el'r,
This ciaIsc !, cane., Rrre,eara,nc.,.
'.l'.} CIAAbEaL,iS - iiL"LErr
fr,e iar't-s are wr.i.u tle itlft fot'4l
These rxaction nave been ycry severe during the past
Sumner, aud numerous bills have been rendered for
amounts varying from $50 TO sG0 for services worth from
80 10 81 This practiced he it mbcred
ia The face dated April o. 1865 which declares
In H. eighth sccton that no arborma'ter shall take or
receive, directly indirectly, any money or fees in
addition Ia those prescribed by law" THIS clause is
dead letter. and at this moment scarcely vessel arrives
departs from her berth on the East River without
brbe TO the harbor-mascr OF the district
Tie bancful effects Of these parasites upon the COM
nercc Of New.York in the empty docks tho de-
nj
East Rivers and in the gradual yet sure decline Of the
shipping interests Of the port Men naturally object to
investing their capital III vessels which will, with the
prevailing quarantine cxtOrtons, harhorniastcrs
actions charges by INSCRIPTIONS tug boatinen and eys
By "rng" styrdOres, insure only small interest in
comparison with that obtained in many other enter
pri,es. Corruption has become SO much habit with
these vutures Of Tanmany Hall that they have not
scrupcd receive bids openly from several persons for
the pier and the berth was always secured by the
givcr Of the largest bonus These men frequently ac-
cepted the position with the declared purpose to make
fortune year twO" and they were generally sue.
ccssful
James Bevna who held the With District during tho
last term Of Gov Hoffman and had his Office with NJ L.
McCrcady Co.. No 50 SOuthst, retired independently
wealthy Mr. Miller prOment Southst Wholesale gro
ccr went Bevins time since and asked the price
Of berth at which to unload vessel which had arrived
consigned to his care.
"How much is 1t worth to you" smillngy asked the
confident Bevins.
"we III pay 80 rather than not get it," replied Mr.
Miller.
FIFTY dollars |" almost screamed the indignant and
underrated harbornaster "ssy e2so aud then I'll talk
to you"
The grocer had nonsource but to submit to this exoron
and keep still.
In the now famous case Of the bark Mary Way. the
Harbor whose office 10 In south st. near Walst
chnrSed her capuin short time since el00 for berth
aud towage, and bl rendered for this amount by
NJ fha Ha
hest LnOwn by the name Of the Blubber Hunter The
catain refused to pay exorbtant BILL and sent 1t to