The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-10

THE HARBOR MASTERS INVESTIGATION.
Tho Damaging Evidence Against the Harbor
Mastsrs-Ths Towing Ring-The Mid
dlemen and Their Divviea
AssEMBLYMAN HusrEvs LITTLE RAKE.

s""-oo""1'ee vi the Assembly Standing Com.
hlttee on Commerce and Navigation sat at the
rooms OF the Shipowners' Association, so Pine
street. yesterday afternoon to hear evidence OF per-
sons dissatisfied with the harbor masters OF the
port. The committee consisted OF D. w, Judd
Chairman, and Messrs. Bennett and Alberger
The nrst witness called was Alfred Webb master
OF the bark Brunette, who, when sworn. id-I ap-
Piled for berth about the 9th OF February for nv
vessel; was told by the harbor master that should
have to pay $50 for the berth and SIS for his tug as
towage to sea; paid 1t and this is the bill for It
($65); could have got lowed to sea for $l2
J. o. Ward, Al South street. shipbroker-I don't
recollect ever having gotten berth on the New
York side Without paying for It, either TO stevedores
or to boatmen, under the head OF services; the
charges are unjust because we pay regular fees for
the harb0r masters; pay about thirty dollars for
vessel or medium size; understand one Bryce Is
the harb0r master OF my District here are two bills
Parker d GiDDs' and another away up at Forty
seventh street; they are written in some cases as
'berh iees;" II we objected paying these fees we
would be shut on from berLhlng in the city at all;
the narDor master should be put on salary; never
complained to the Captain OF the Port OF these ex
tOrttons, because considered ir OF no use.
James +. Pendergast shipping merchant stated
that he had ten or twelve vessels running to Rio
Janler0 ana got berthS through the stevedOre; had
paid $50 and even 500 for berth; once 800 was
asked; sometimes we were compelled to take tugs
eighteen months we nave iightereG or cSrtei the
goods across from Brooklyn rather than pay ex.
are onehalf less; we preferred ordering our ships
10 Baltimore rather than pay the charges IN this
reduced wharfage, putting it on the goods Instead
OF the ships ana asslmiatng the laws to Boston or
batimore Baltimore - running up It's commerce
mead on account OF It's just laws.
William A. Pascal, tow steamboat proprietor,
sworn.The whole system IN New. YORK Is now
vested Ia q lew vessels; on the oath January the
brig Willie Smith employed my boat to tow her; we
charged $40 for the towing; the agent. Mr.. Staples
refused to pay the BILL showed me that my bill had
been changed to $40. or rather that new bill mad
been made out; he said that he mad arranged TO
give the harbor masters aI piers and 7 $i2 for
berths; the towing Is done by few persons only.
VINO have monopoly; suppose IN ParKers dis
trict the harbor master stockholder IN the tugs;
nave seen bills paid for towing as high as $50 that
would have been glad to do Tor SIS: 1t Is impos.
sl0e to get berth In the districts without employ.
J: r. Berry captain OF q towboat. confirmed the
last witness testimony; In Parkers district he
nifty OF the vessels entering the district nave lost
tw0.thirds OF my business on account OF these ex.
John w. Parker, snip broker, sworn-We can't
get berth between piers Nos. ana 90, East
vebDer arrived In November with pig iron; II tried
to get the merchants to take the cargo to Brooklyn;
they insisted upon having II delivered on this side;
went to see the HarD0r Master to get pier NO ~;
Mr. Hewlett said we could have it; We paid $50 for
the berth for twelve days; Hewetts boat towed
never see tie HarSor Master iH but but can can
Of the 'middlemen," suppose; we nave done this
every time; there are no exceptions; want ali the
Masters out and Inc OF the
Master, but have to take the mddlenfen-the tow
man-wh0 charges the sum In for services as tow
b. 7. Thurlow, snipowner, sw0rn-It Is generally
understood that the HarD0r Masters can never be
rarely let q vessel come here on account OF the
heavy tow fees; suffer an immense amount;
ana avoided this port other ports are built on
the expense OF ours; own vessels that have not
been here IN four years, whereas they would always
come II the charges were not SO outrageous; we
have never mad az bad man as Mr.. Parker, VINO
had partner named Gibbs, who has retlred and
Il. X. HOughton, ship broker sworn-He stated
that in TWO years ne had paid thousands OF dollars
Gibbs, Z. p. Raymond. Marshall, Chamberlain and
Hewlett; they have monopoly OF the business, 1
understand; when we want berth we can never
find him. and usually send out and buy q berth as
cheap as we can.
James Henry, ship broker, produced bills for tow
to pier 49, $780, pier IA to 49, $40; Roberts, stores
to pier Is North River, .sS5; ROBERTS, stores.
East River, ss5; remaining at pier, s35; these are
ordinary charges; pier 10 TO stream, $40; pier 10
East River to Williamsburg, $40; these latter
rates, OF course, were not paid to the monopoly.
and do not cover the berth ext0rttOn.
WIN. SlOan stevedOre sworn, statedthat In August,
TWO years ago. ne paid the captain OF the StarDuck
rom the Master and Mar
have given me berths without charge.
David LlOyd'S testimony was to the same purpOrty
and he declared he had been asked as hign as $500
Tor berth.
Edw ard Atkins, shipowner, testified that in Ave
years he had been unable TO get vessel In berth In
john Gibbs was recalled at his own request to cor.
rect or his testimony, and said ne paid Parker
q bonus Of $1,000 70 snare his advantages IN the
towing. 1 paid 5000 OF our FIRMS contribution OF
$500 10 Parker once, TO be paid to Mr. Chapman;
understood the money would finally reach the vicin-
ity OF the Harbor Master; on one occasion sos was
understood went to Harbor Master John
Bryce; dOn't think our firm Parker and Il have
paid $4,000 per year to Bryce as part OF the arrange
ment, but 1t might nave been; 1t was near that.
TO MIR. Parker-I think the money paid Tor the
Harbor Master TO Chapman was In July. 1869: this,
he understood. reached the Hon. James W. Hustled,
OF the Assembly.
Walker r. Parker recaled-Thls So, 900, of which
last witness speaks, went to me; never paid any.
thing to Bryce, but paid some money 70 Hustled
Hustled he said 1t was for legal advice; the money
paid to Chapman was for getting me work;
the money PAID Chapman was for getting Hustled
Tor legal services; there was money paid to Mr.
Hustled or william Smelt TO introduce US TO Bryce;
1t was less than $1,000.
The Chairman-Mr. Parker. you enjoy extraor-
binary advantages at very low rates.
j. K. Berry, recalled, stated he would give $4,000
for the privileges enjoyed by Parker were he das-
John Wilson, stevedOre, had paid $50, $40 ana
$50 for berth; Parker had not charged any extra
rates for t0wage since the investigation commenced.
henry +. Demllt, manager or the Metropolitan
steamship Company, and others, gave conflrmatOry
evidence of the ring swindles, and the committee
concluded about SIX p NJ And s adjourned; ,u -
leQes OF towing worth $4,000 per district shows
what nice plumb these harbOr masters and tug
owners nave There are eleven districts IN the CITY,
men as Parker and Gibbs would foot up 10 $4,000
per year.