The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-06-23

Port wardens and the Charge of One Dol
lar and Fifty Cents for Furnishing them
"Statistics."
TO the Editor OF The Boentng Telegraph.
Having set myself right, in your paper OF yester-
day, as to the mistake OF tone hundred and ffty
dollars" instead ofone dollar and fifty cents, made
by the reporters for the morning papers, 1t be-
comes my duty to redeem my promise to vindicate
the faction of the Board of Trade, and your COM
ments thereon OF Tuesday afternoon, by showing
that that action and those structures were just and
nell founded. 1t appears by the communication In
your paper of Wednesday, in defense OF the Port
wardens and their action, that with regard to the
purposes of the law we have no dispute that when
ever jersey truck. boat or Delaware Bay oyster
boat enters dock OF this city, anywhere from
Brideshurg to League Island or around to Fair
mount if of 75 tons burden, the skipper shall,
''wthn twentyfour hours after arrival at the port
OF Philadelphia report and register at the office OF
the Board of Wardens for said port, aud all pro-
ceedngs for neglect obey the harbor regulations
as present existing shall be held before any JUS
tioe Of the peace alderman OF the city OF Phla-
dephia, and the proceedings for the enforcement OF
pepalties in all cases shall be commenced by cnpias
All laws or parts of laws inconsistent with these
laws are hereby repealed"
Now Mr.. Editor, would not this seem to be enough?
What more? Are not the claims Of statistics" sats-
fed when the statistics" are furnished? Far from
it; the important part remains behind. For the
pleasure and honor OF this journey and bringing with
him these 'statistics'O, he has to pay dollar and
Hf,y cents The defense OF this exacton is as fol-
lows:-
uBv vessels reporting the board will be enabled 10
give daily full ana reliable report of the arrivals
and departures at our port and obtain for the use
OF the pubic the complete commercial statistics OF
Philadelphia. This has long been felt desidera-
tum and numerous commercial gentlemen have
requested the board to take sucn action as would
York, Bost n, and Baltimore. When last year the
National Government asked this board for the COM
mercia statistics of Philadelphia, 1t was impossible
to furnish the information; and daily inquiries are
made at this office for the tonnage draft OF
concerning some vessel OF which we possess no
registry"
II this be true, then the Board of Port wardens
should pay instead of charging against the skipper
this 81 80 for his information and valuable ''sta,s-
tics" But do the Port Wardens intend to give
daily full and reliable report Of the arrivals aud
departures at?) our port Of all the market and oys-
ter-boats, as they come and go, for the OF the
public venture to say for the public that they
will willingly dispense with this valuable informa-
ton in the interest of the poor skipper and for the
sake of cheap onions, tomatoes, and porgies.
But the writer says that it is ''to place Phiadel
phia in the same position as New York." etc. II he
means by this that at the port OF New York there is
any such requirement upon the sloop and
schooner trade OF the sound and the North river 1t
is simply untrue; If he means to count up our
arrivals and departures OF the market shallops
against the steamers OF the Cunard and Inman lines
and the feet of 1000 to 5000 ton vessels entering
there and so to publish them to the world, he will be
guilty Of a petty and Infamous fraud, which the
high-minded merchants OF Philadelphia will not
only discountenance, but punish by sweeping this
law from the statute book.
Further, this is most unequal and unjust exac-
tion. The Messrs. Cope enter and clear the Tona-
wanda perhaps three times a year, for which, as
they are near the Port Wardens office, four dollars
and fifty cents is them but trine Repeated per-
sonal complaints have been made at this office by
market men-poor nsen-that the fee ITSELF repeated
on trips averaging three in two weeks, became OPP
pressue and the addition OF travelling to the office
and there dancing attendance until the proper off,
cial should put in personal appearance to receive
1T was nothing short Of tyranny and oppression
under color OF law.
Have not said enough to vindicate the action Of
the board and your own comments upon 1t as upon
par with stealing pennies from a dead pauper's
eyes? II not there is much more to be added.
A. p.