New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-01-11

p. Lindsay, who was directed to examine into
the system, "tlat it should be reduced some
thirty per cent"
In 1870, George X. Lect, then q captain in the
army, appeared in New York, complete
stranger, with only letter Of general intro
duction from President Grant, on whose
staff he had served in the army. and at once
set up claim to the possession of The Cen
eral Order business. He was gwen Si''i' "
it. which he sold to a notorious Iamil'"J p''
itcion named Francis NJ, Bixby, for the sum
of S5.j25 per annum, and an equal share
of all the profits over $4,000 ms
il in proof over Leets own handwriting
Not content with this profitable arrangement
considering that he had never mVc8leu
dollar. Lcct claimed the whole Ochelm
"Orlrr busincss.D On the remoVai OF Mr'
Grjnnell. which Lect had threatened to bring
about. saving, as Lindsay swears, that "he
"would have o new Collector if he did not
"pet what he wanted,' he came into full and
until this time undisputed possession.
The low rates established by Mr. Crinncl
were at once discarded, and since then Leet has
practically been unlimited in his charges by
Alexander I. Stewart has testified that in con-
sequence of the gift to Leet Of this monopoly,
which he denounced as On outrage upon the
merchants, Cd the storage capacity OF the |
General Order stores had been reduced, though |
the business had been augmented by the trans
fer of the jersey stores to this side ; CD that
an extra, unnecessary charge for cartage
had been made compulsory; (3) that IN
" terminable delays" resulting frequently IN
heavy losses to the importer from fluctuations
in prices, often as much as 20 per cent, had en-
sued Cd that insurance rates on General Order
goods had advanced from 40 cents to % cents
per hundred dollars; 90 that the charge for
storage had nearly doubled; (G) and that Lcct
was charging from 81 % to 81 IS per package,
which was double the fair and former rates I
FOR storage, carriage and labor. Mr.. Stewards
clerk in charge Of the General Order business
stated in addition, as cOrrOboratlng anu
STRENGTHENING the first statement OF MS chic'
hat since Leet came into his monopoly o,Iy
.,vo " General Order stores" renamed III ~
,boIo Port of Ney-YoIll, and that "hilo
aeu ,,ooLoco was the maximum charso M,
,orrer divisions of the pus,he'' 49,
hora were sufficient stores, tno
nol' ,,oro Fl rs. David Ogden, another
III merchant. swOre that for the benefit
e. mToct's pet warehouses" lie was
'horcod storage when his goods re-
noincd on his own ship, and that for we'd
sent him from England he had had
O pay 81 for storage and carriage, though
le had walked of with the package under his
lrm. Mr.. Henry A. Garrison testified that
lnder the old system he had never paid ut
Jersey City and HobOken more than Sl'
whereas he had paid Leet 80 and in one III
lance 50 50 per package Nor were these the :
uIv Witnesses who showed cOnclusively that ;
nder Leet the charges had advanced fully
0 per cent i
For the purpose of arriving at a calculation
e what merchants have suffered at the hands !
f this imported mOnOpOlist of the General ,
)rder business, let us adopt SOC. as the differ
nee between tho average charges or year ,
20 and the present exOrbitant rates. Mr. ,
lindsay furnished in his important testimony !
calculation of the business for "A single
uarter oe the dullcst season of 1868, showing
hat 10000 packages went to General
rders This is at the rate of 52lOO0
acloocs n wear. a very low calculation, as )
very merchant acquainted with the business l
ill conclude Here, then, is a total profit to II
his intcrloping captain of the army, without I
nv interest in the trade of the port, never
aying invested one penny in the business, of T
100000, wrung from the merchants thus help o
,ssly subjected to the rapacity of mere pol
ician with mysterious influence at Washing
Oh. 49, :
It seems to us that nothing more ought to =
e necessary to be added to this brief state a
lent of the well established facts in regard
0 this outrageous system to secure its sum- :
,ary correction. Merchants cannot be ex- =
ected to submit forever to such exactlons.
70 administration or party can afford to sus- l
ain such impostors as Leet and Company.
We appeal to Gen. Grant for the sake OF his
administration and our party to get md OF
.eet a great deal quicker than he got rid of
Iurphy.
4 DLSSOLVING VIEW OF PARIISAN