New-York tribune., 1872-01-30
THE GENERAL ORDER oUTRAGEs.
HOW NETWORK MERCHANTS ARE PLUNDEREl
BY ADMINISTRATION FAVoRITES.

THE GENERAL ORDER OUTRAGES.
HOW NETWORK MERCHANTS ARE PLUNDERED
BY ADMINISTRATION FAVORITEs.
Many witnesses have given conclusive evil
dcnce IN regard to the eXortons perpetraed on mer
chants by Lcet & Co. a. T. Stewart testified that the
present prices for storage, cartage and labor were
double what they had been heretofore" David Ogden
swore that charged for storage when his goods
remained in his own vessel H. A. Garrison testified
now paid g and s. so for pacages" B.; f. Mud Mud
- gs' Th SwII' a 'S ordinary warehouse Charges" c. C.
FrancLiyn. agent of tie Cunard line, testified
Te GI a% nG 6F@ey "" W W. Downs Custom
Tor Cafn Co.. thought the present General Order sys
@ & epd Sh caTges Peter Moore Gus
tomhouse clerk for Phelps Dodge q Co. TESTIFIED tnat
Lrct and Stockings charges are three or four tmes
greater than tic rates. that to have their goods
90 to General order stores occasion great losses,
and that therefore they had kept out Of the Jaws OF te
lion" Henry G. Meyer. who formerly had the Genera
now than at tnat time" Benjamin H. Hutton e0nsld-
cred the present system the worst poSsioe ot n >,
Upon the other hand, Charles Van sauH, Leet * 20
superintendent testified that the present General Order
system IS the best he has ever ahH t ,e
Deputy collector Clark thought the present General
fe complaints Of excessive charges unfOunded." Thos
b Thorpe clerk Of the Warehouse bureau s%ore h 1ae
the General Order charges were always hlgher thah
bonded warehouse charges. but thought " perhaps tae
the Icrcy-st stores to Let Stocking, had heard no
complaints and stated that the General order charges
IS or 30 cents per package" Deputy Collector James
acbnowl edged that many complaints had been mace
against Lcct Co.'s charges and finally admitted that
"tbe present rates need revision"
TIE PROPER GENERAL ORDER SYSTEM.
Gustav Schwab, of the North German Loyds
eteamship Company, testified Under the old system
our storehouses were never crowded, and merchants
could get their goods without delay every steamship
COMPANY should have warehouse the docks, or
te privileged 10 the nearest bonded warehouse Tor
General purposes Congress and not the Collectors
should regulate the matter many OF the later having
n often admitted that the business mas become
Sap SSne the Inman Line, thought the present
. system in some respects aaYanageoHs, pr 3i aa o.
Rave it, own warehouse and that to increase the number
of warehouses would be 10 increase their facilities pro
norlinuatrly" H. Il. Clafiin deemed II essential TO
the convenience aud economy of the merchants tha nc
forISr oa1er m 5y' 81 t u, honaG waTehomsemep
IN convenient localities" A. p Miller, bonded ware
house-bccper believed it would be advantageous for
every steamship to have its OWN General order ware
houses: Henry Shaw importer, thought the meTcian s
" should nave three day instead OF "0 ualS Delolo @
goods go into General Order and that bonded ware
John Williams. of the Liverpool and Great western m
Sase lille under the old plan the advantages were
given to another steamship ne they sh3uu nave oeen
fhc best plan would be TO allow every liue TO have ITS
own General Order store" Assistant Collector Chas r.
Clnch tOu ght that goods should be considered IN,
claimed until five days after The entry OF the EeSae
and that this plan would remove Seayed a Sa boSed
warehouses could be made General Order Stores Will
w w " " Downs favored the plan Of letting every
steamship cOmpin! have It's own Oehef'l OiueI ""e-
house
TIE PROFITS OF LEET & CO.'S MONOPOLY.
MIR. Lindsay made "A calculation showing
that packages per annum into General Order
winch would net aie enormous sum OF 100000 proht
Special gent Jayne testified that nc thought 1.-THE Gen
eral order business was worth 100000 per anhum'
Deputy Collector Clark acknowledged that the General
order business the most valuable IN INC
Sift of The Government" Col Leet testified that their
expenses from June 49, 1870 to Dec ls7 were SAL hd 10
Isl ss5 % additional, showing profit Of $4,000 ne
hat Peter hg %Hf Moare SSi for p
Dodge Co testified that "Mr Grnnell was offered $4,000
slated his Willingness to pay $4,000 for the privilege Of
having the General order store and thought PERHAPS
he would give $4,000 If the prices were Kept as hgn ~
the present charges Charles Van saun, Leet Cos
tGTed tha 1e PGmss Ti to the
statement OF Leet stocking and Van san thel % aI
teudentan annual profit Of over fourteen h"HdFe" per
cent on He amount of capital inreSted
LEET q STOCKINGS yERACITY.
Col. Stocking swOre that "the articles OF CO.
partnership between Leet and himself require division
OF the profits the year." while Col Leet swOre that be
did not know what the cOpartnership agreement re-
0uired" that the books have never been balanced
and that he does not know what lthCir profits have
been Yet he subsequently, stated that their profits had
amounte "tO hich So 600 in ban~nd $l5 900
was in bonds but where the remaining sGoco Ssn & ne
"a Leet testified that he did moi belong TO the mess WIN
Ge' Porter and Babcock in the years 1869 and 1870
nbseGuentiy acknowledged that he had written
letter hch he speaks OF "MOses (Mr Grinne shay
dged that be receiving 5000 from Bixby, while
he received pay army officer" while b. f. Mudget
testified that n April or May, 1870 lac told Inc mat all
the revenue he received his salary as an Ofcer
Co.. Leet recalled hattie had never seen the
previous Witness A. N Leet, pnti the latter SAT IN
the witness chair. yet a. N leet sat at his elbow TWO
evenings previous while Col. Leet giving his tcstl-
mo1y, and tOCk notes of II for THE TRIBUNE, and
frequently asked him his replies To questions,
- Nat he might Oe correctly reported Col Leet ana
Col Stocking both testified that special arrange
mont bad been made with A. Il. Stewart Co." while
n T. stewart and John DE Brot clerk for the latter,
tesf fled positively that snch arrangement had been
inafe" and stated the terms Of the agreement Leet
that he resigned, he thinks" In February, 1870
70 take effect Spteinber, 1870 while the army record
shows that be discharged Aug 1870 took advantage
Of the act Of July 6 1870 and dre~ pay until Aug ISL
RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ADMINISTRATION FOR
LEET d co.'s OPERATIONS.
b. F. Midget testified concerning the impOr-
tunities made by Administration agents 10 secure the
General Order plum for Leet Stocking. "Gen. POr
ter admitted" TO this wtLess that tho President gave
letter to Mr. Leet requesting Mr.. GTinne 10 give him
the General Order business" The witness, being
called that Leot In speaking Of getting the Gen
erai Order business, boosted: Il have at Washing
ton that put bis hand Dir. Boutwels shoulder"
refused 10 comply with Leet Stockings demands untH
Gen Porter here and compelled him 10. Mr.. Lcet
was armed with document from the President and il
don't requreBueh experience to know that an Dlina-
lion from the President TO q holding about 10
hold Once IL equal TO command. believe that this
who impose upon the President" Col I6et admitted In
ais testimony having received letter from
TO Mr. Grtlnel, Ia which the following sentence occurs