Litchfield enquirer., 1872-01-04
From the New York Evening Post CIVIL SERvlCE REFORM.
cnsToaa nouaE TEmPTArloMs.
salaries and '.Perqulsites" in New
 Y0Fk-Facts and Figures.

Salaries ana Perqulsites" in New
 YoFk-racts and Figures. C
 Iprupose to state few facts in relation so the New York Custom House. The sxxsem is rasponaihle for the state of tkines I ahan dspiG and not the admin iskrw4Sun #MA a&M H#@ -
 HE x0AK1xAL sALAREEzn sal
 The CoIlect0rzhip of New York is the richest office ct the beakowal of the gov erumenk It is legitimately worth at least &5N GOO per annum to it's incumbent. The pOwition of Naval Officer and Surveyor fol- low next in pecuniary value. Under them are a great number of officers with from sI0O1o to s12 OQO per annum. The posi- tion of Appraiser of the Port of New York is independent of the Custom House prop CT, thOughsn auxiliary. Under this are off ces. woEsh legitimatefy from S3,OOO down t6 q. .0oO per year. The salaries paid to subordinate officers in all these depart ments are in no instance too large, and in most cases they are pitiably small
 TIE TOWER OF " FRIENDS.
 Immediztely after the installment of a new Collector, Naval Officer, Surveyor or Appraiser a notice is sent to, all subordi- mates, requesting them to furnish the new head of the department with list oftheir respective backers. If these packers are politically strong and affiliate with the party in power, the subordinate retains his position; otherwise he goes. except the eases of a few leading officers on whose retention the working of this vast and complicated machine absolutely depends. No party could carry the odium of perfect chaos m the Custom House. and there fuEe these few retain their rpoaiti0ns. With these few exceptions the question of the capacity, honesty or experience of the in- eznbent CT of the aspirant for his posi- tioa Is not weighed for a moment.
 The new man once in office can reckon 0n his tenure as long as his 'tbacker's" faction is an power and as long as 1t con- Hissers che chief who appointed him quail fed hy political power to retain his own position His children's bread may de pend upon the personal ambitions and political animossties of rival politicians in the sMme party. With tenure of office. then, which may last a month, and pos sihly year, but which in all probability will terminate within two years; with a salary which, If he have a family. will barely support it; with an ideaAhat. should he be dismissed. his fate would be as un- just as he knows was that of his predeces- s1E, whose position he has taken: with temptations tO dishonesty such as few are subjected 60: obliged on 'tinvitation'' to subscribe ont of his small earnings to the party expresses with no stimulus to indus try based on the hope of advancement: his political opinions, or the expression of them. eEsl&yed for very fear-this is the man whO Is to assist in the honest and eff fcIe1t collection of the revenue.
 THR WAY IT IS DONE.
 A Sampler in the Appraisers Depart ment ls pad g per day. His selection of tew handfnls o1 sugar from cargo may involve tAo1sands of dollars of profit or kcsa t0 the importer and thousands in du- Hes Co the government. It is his duty to seAec4 samples from a cargo and carry them tO the appraiser for appraisement. Ills pay Is miserable. his dufies very re- spaEzlbIes tomorrow he may be diseharg- cd tDE no 0afcaee save that his ssbacker' is not a partisan of the dominant Senator. The importer slips $1O0 into his hand and he sslecss from the cargo a damaged sam- Pte. or mixes with the real sugar from the cargo an inferior quality, or substitutes another article entirely. His act secures the ImpoEter SJ0.W0, gives him an un- tzlr and overwhelming advantage over honest competitors m the trade, and ab- stracts S50.00 from the pockets of tax payer& am not suppOsing a case, but give facts that have come under my own eye&
 A Unifed States Appraiser is paid 6. 900 per sznan- Upon his skill and honesty In determining values of goods on which duties are assessed depend hundreds of thoazands of dollars per day. The old Appraiser Is dismissed. The reasons were political The new one is selected entire ly upon political recommendations. He Us to FsasS upon the values of silks and la- ces& He may have been a lawyer, school teacher or bad politician. 4 matter of Sl0.0o. CT even, m case it should be un- deESalued, the forfeiture of an invoice of goods worth SlO0 0O0 to the government, every day depends upon him. His expe- rence Is very limited. his judgement he knsws may he at fault: one thousand dol lars fr0m the importer assists his conclu- Ssc1S under the faIlibility of human Iadguaent, a1l1 he concludes and certifies thai tke Invosce before him is correct. The loss of the government is S1O0, 900.
 The caEice of Damage Examiner" pays a salary Of $45O0 per annum- It is is the hzrslness of the Damage Examiner to de- teFmlne what perccntage of q cargo is dAnagcd hy the voyage. and duties are teyled oa the undamaged part. A ship laden with xpsce Is in port. Her cargo is wOrtA SINl O0 It is his duty to estimate the damage. 1t Is purely a matter of la3gmeak The importer assures him, WP-oa the wUr1 of an experienced dealer in sPsres. and with the inducement of $500, that the cargo Is damaged thirty per cent He kfEself. had not the importer volun- teered his advice. wOuld have put it at hfAeea per cent The government loses Its duty ca the difference, or on seventy Eve th0zsand dollars worth of goods.
 The oe6ce of weigher IS worth $2,5O0 a year AegStlmately, vel it is fact that no 0tkee m the gift of the gOvernmeatis is more hlssnly estecz1ed The Weigher deter tsFIfnes the weight cf a cargo on which duky is to he levied by the pound. He has absolutely no inducement to honesty save the innate strength of his character. Five hE11re1 dollars are offered, a false welght ss retaKned and the old story is re- pazeed again During the last year frauds ln tAlls esae department, peFpetrrated years se0-fcr they pass for the most part un- deter<@d while the officer retains his post involving millions of dollars, have been unezFthed hy one special agent of the gov SrzEent Ia ttass city and reported to the Calted States Attorney for prosecution.
 rsE EsREcr0R AND TRAvRLRRs
 CcmiRg t9 the office of Inspector we tread 0n holy ground \ friend in poli- slcs said t0 ne the other day that this post. welding salary of four dollars per day, Is so highly esteemed that it is as diff hcsEls ts secure an appointment here as in the eoloaiesl All European travellers are aeqzalRted witA those estimable gentle Easa, the Inspectors One fact illustrat- Sag the share which the public, that lifts up fAG hands in holy horror at official cor rszptscu. rzxy have in this business I will ~eAte- As is wen known, when a steamer arrives h pOrt the first-cabin baggage is lzEs1ed immediately upon the dock and an sxzziaztSOa of trunks. generally by two FrsFecturs. begins An appraiser is de tsile1 t0 spprsise snch articles as may be toand dntlable among the baggage. He stands by upon the deck, ready to do his datv when called upon by the Inspectors A fri..asl ae r.aiu,a " sln lss leAan an Assist.