The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-03-15
The Case of the Eureka Milling Company.

The case OF the Eureka Milling Company.
The Boston Advertiser publishes letter from
Bath relative to the memorial of Mr.. Page,
which Senator Bayard desired to refer to the
Investigating or Retrenchment Committee 1t
seems that company had been organized in
Bath for the manufacture of barytes, having
purchased mines of this article in Nova Scotia,
and established mandatory at Bath. The
duty on the manufactured article is one half
cent pound. The letter goes on: FA1 3u
The article is very beautiful, whittier and finer
than any -four. The crude article, as the COM
pany imported it, has more the appearance of
coarse and fine dirty-reddish gravel The COM
pany felt that the duty should not be the same
on the crude as on the manufactured, as it cost
about three dollars to mine and ship it at Nova
manufacture it, There appeared to be no pre-
cedent for duty, and in corresponding with
the Treasury Department on account of very
poor cargo, our collector received conmuni-
cation from the department, stating it was not
the barytes OF commerce, but would come I'M
der the raw and unenumerated articles subject
to duty of ten per cent. dd yalOrena. The COM
pany continued its manufacture for year and
half, making regular returns to the govern
ment. Every cargo was examined and many
OF them were weighed by the custom-house Off
Gals. The works were always open to their in
spection. Then our collector introduced one of
their special agents or detectives to the treasu-
rer of the company, who freely opened to him
the works, books, bills, accounts and everything
connected with the business, confident that all
the obligations toward the government had been
openly and honestly fulfilled This detective
went away apparently satisfied, and with the as
suraHce of the custom officials that they believed
that everything had been done according to the
government instructions and with honesty of
purpose by the company. With surprise they
were soon served with writs on the company
and officers individually of one hundred and
fifty thousand dollars or whereabouts, their books
and papers we're seized and kept more than
year, requiring the shutting up their works and
breaking up their business. A demand was made
for duty of $40 per ton instead of the ad va
lorem duty of 10 per cent as they supposed had
been decided by the Treasury Department it
self in the communication to the collector
of customs of this port. On consultation with
some OF the leading commercial men of New
England, the correspondence being submitted
for their examination, they were assured that
the department on examining the case would
make it all right. They went to Washington,
laid open their case, and were assured of ia
vorable decision, but were soon informed that
according to some understanding this special
agent or detective must be first consulted Thus
were they thrown back in all their labors and
consigned to the tender mercies of such men as
fill such Offices paid by the plumber which may
be uniustly, recklessly and wickedly wrung
from business men and citizens. Eventually
these parties, rather than 60 to trial in the
United States Courts for term of years to the
ruin OF their business, and so unjustly arraigned
as smugglers and swindlers of the best Govern
ment on earth, were obliged to compromise with
Government by paying nine thousand five hum
dred dollars; and then the Government de-
clared duty of twenty per cent. dd Uolorem
only; or, at the same valuation, duty of sixty
cents per ton instead of thirty cents, which the
company had paid, and instead of ten dollars
per ton, as claimed by the detectives. The
business of the company was broken up, as it
was not able to get a declared duty until the
compromise was made and the money paid.
This is not political matter, as the individu-
ais suffering this outrage are in principle and
fact Republicans. This case has been carefully
looked over by many of the most eminent
statesmen of the country and the most able
business men of both parties, and has by them,
without an exception, been declared to be an
outrage on the rights of free citizens.