New-York tribune., 1872-02-14
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
CI1STOM-HOUSE REFORM.

presented by the ocean steamship agents ., CON,
to the Committee appointed by the Chanvot VI
nerce for the consideration OF 'hiS e0'V'9 " 49,
below -. - -. a.. c,,
FRRpHRiCK A. CoSKLrNG ESQ., c""""'"'' " WV ~
nilec of ne Chamber OF Coo""e'oo'
~, s,n 7, accordance with your suggestion we
barnvh beg to lay before you IN wrltihg 'he reiorS
h,h ., our ornion, required IN order 10 cure OF
,,tte the principal evils and abuses In the manage
,nn, Of tho New York Custom house. which are now
RIM complaned Of before the Committee OF the u g.
Scnse on Investigation and Rotrenchment, .,.,, A..
,sure oi our business has made familiar, and we
shall sdd the principal reasons On V 20 the
fct that these reasons have stated by some of US
before Senate Committee more fuy thah 'he present
Before entering upon details It would be well to state
conviction that many II no, all an OF n se tSS FnS
rcvenue laws and regulations date mostly from ,e %
snd reSations are most unsuitable and inadequate to
the commercial requirements OF the present 'nne. .
We will now state the subjects IN 'he ofuer "hich 'noii
general Importance suggests.
THR GENERAL ORDER BUSINESS.
with regard TO the General Order business we wouid
recommend that law be passed authorizing every YES
sel or at least every regular line Of steamships 10
designate the bonded Of the third class 10
which the unclaimed goods landed by them may Do sene
for storage-the charges those goods remanng' Us
they now are subject TO the control OF the ConcSs, oua
By such a measure the General Order business I mIao
cease IN he subject OF ayorsn. In all cases where
the agents Of steamships would choose 10 ud
Sove AZ least as good and probably better security for
the faithful and proper on O agdS sne Of Steamship
companies represent large interests ana ae ~ usto,
respects constantly under the supervision oi the
The merchants also would have better guarantee fO6
low charges and prompt attention TO their wants sne
the business Of steamship companies s largely depend
ent the favor of their customers wneIeas @ nT @ oua
bonded warehouse keepers possibly nave an nHquni
interest seeing that the importers are served wen anu
All didcues in fixing responsibility for roboeries
on goods while under General ORDER wond tha
under this SYSTEM and 1t would greatly Iaclnta.e no
quick d.rateh of steamships. which is so eSsen'ai
feature OF this day.
rurF1s IN THE APPRAISERS STORES
Tor ,reventpe the frequent robberies in the Ap
nraiser store the only efficient remedy is, of course,
the employ iu that store of none but honest men,
In order however to remove some OF the occasions or
and temptations 10 dishonesty, we would recommend
that the storekeeper be by regulation directed to give 10
the cartman receipt stating the order or condiuoh IN
which each package IL received and 10 DO so at te the
when is actually received and not ash DOW the Gus
The owner Of every package received IN pau orue Vi
fact giving him time and opportunity 10 examine Is r
package before it opened for apprasement We wod
also second the suggestion made by Appraiser az M
before Senate Committee. that the contro 0l t
appraisers openers and packers as wel as o.
the laborers now acting under sepaiate d that he
should be held responsible for their acts FuTther we
a can I @ he Te performance Of ali duties in the Appraisers
store than have heretofore been employed
NIGHT PERMITS.
with rocard 70 night permits we would recommend
fiat the law or the regulations be amended as to allow
the Collector at his discretion. to grant permission TO
discharge general cargo night and TO take In outward
cargo at night the ship has discharged the whole
of her inward cargo. a.. oouoo.ou 3, INV
nit the dschareng of general cargo at night only when
castes of steamshp commerce are frequently such
TO render discharging of general cargo at ght matter
regular dsys We are convinced that it is fully safe
for the Revenue service to have steamship carg1es e
may with perfect safety be left to the discretion OF
the Collector VINO can % Place such For Of on
large steamships, which must take ;h .oHir IN oa6f
outward cargo before landing the whole at night
cargo matter of necessity and SWAT no part Of the
incoming cargo we nefwoTS r in D0 o1r oP
TIE danger OF overrated by persons IA
RGencraiy overlooked that the manifest IN the hands
Of the CustOn-ouse officers states every package that
rarso S must be when the
The Reorganization of the General Order business, as
proposed by ns also TSnSS N as such
nsht in"u it ever con be under the present
system sr,zrpv or vrssp1s
Tho law ordering and forfeiture Of vessels
for any act of smuggling committed by an empoye OF
the ship ought 20 be abolished and replaced by an act
Imposing Gne for such smuggling proporonate to the
ofense.
0 This law we arc informed dates from 1923, and
framed passed in England where it has long
proposed The existing has long been dead letter,
and has in ali c5ses remitteG the forfeiture Of ships. but
without charges being incurred amounting 70 one
he L. s. Marshal and Disrict-Atorney. AT the same
time the law places the owners OF steamships and other
who tempted demand grautiies aud an to
rather than prevent petty smuggling by ships crews
for the sake of threatening seizure
POST CLEARANCE.
We also recommend the enactment of law PERMITTING
agents Of vessels to make post clearances within two
days after tine clearing of their ships.
fhe ia iippd 10
TO general list Of his outward cargo stating its value
weight &C.. before his ship be cleared To effect
this shipper has first TO make clearance OF his part
OF the cargo but, while the captain has no power and
fined SEQ Tor each omission to do by any shipper.
The proposed amendment would only correspond to
the permission generally granted to yessels OF max
additions their incoming manfests by postentres
And il such permission is allowable with incoming car
goes in which the revenue Is concerned, IL certainly
pears unreasonable TO refuse 1t outgoing cargoes the
clearance Of which principally required only for statis
We would also recommend that the agents Of the
eenerag have no knowledge Of the particulars Of the
cargo which their ships carry the only complete record
Thereof being kept IN the agents Office. where the
ships manifest is placed in the hands OF the captain at
the as nOmcn and after he has cleared his ship at the
Custom house.
PAYMENT OF GRATUITIEs TO INSPECTORS.
For the suppression Of the prevailing custom Of paying
gratuties Inspectors for extra services performed
while attending to the dischargng OF vessels, we
propose specific remedies but only urge the
cessty raising the standard Of character Of Custom
house employees generally, by such ap
We may, however. state our conviction that thor
ough reform In this direction can be expected unless
the Custom. house service is completely disconnected
fLOm party politics unless the appointments made
for ability and Character only and fora long term or for
life unless the tenure OF Office made dependent excu-
nvely good behavior, promotion TO higher places Sc
for the service than heretofore The salary of Inspec
think, ought also to be raised and made suf
cient for the decent maintenance OF "a family
however,