Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-09-12
The total amount collected from customs

Ihe total amount cOuecLed from customs
in the United States for the year ending
currency, s9l7 ,2S9.99; of which there was
collected at New York the sum of S14S,9 ,9S1,-
77S.73. The expense of collection at New
York was considerably less than that at any
other port, being S2,305, 5146O, or only about
IL per cent, thus showing a gradual reduc-
ton each year for the collection of revenue
by customs at the port of New York under
this Administration.
1t will be seen from the above table that
the collections at New York for the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1879, amounted to $14S,-
981, ,77S.73, while at all the other ports of the
United States only s66, ,96O,O ,OO9.17 were col
lected, showing that nearly three-quarters of
the revenue derived from customs, by which
coin the interest on the public debt is paid,
are collected at New York.
1t is owing to this magnitude OF the i'm
porting business at New York that the
storage of general order' goods has be-
come matter of public notoriety and dis
cussion, that business elsewhere receiving
no general attention, because elsewhere it is
of such comparatively limited extent. In
order that the general public may under
stand what the general order" business is,
it may be well to briefly describe it. By the
term general order goods" is meant the
storage of goods imported into the United
or pay the duties at or before the time they
are taken from the importing vessel The
Government has claim upon such mer-
chandise for the legal duties, and the Col
lector is, by law, required to take charge
thereof until the importer claims them, and
pays the duty. If no claimant appears at
the expiration of one year they are sold by
the Collector for the duties and charges.
From the beginning of the warehouse sys-
tem on the passage of the act of Congress
of March 2S, 1854 up to the Administration
of President Grant, no thorough examina-
tion appears to have been made into it's work
ings and management. For nearly twenty
years it had gone on without disturbance
and without reform, and it is not to be won
dered that certain abuses had by this time
sprung up. Among these abuses was the
alleged sale of the General Order business,
during President JohnsOn's Administration,
for SAC, ,000-a large sum of money for sin
gle perquisite.
CUSTOM HOUSE REFORMS UNDER THE PRESENT
ADMINISTRATION.
The first Collector of Customs appointed
at New York by this Administration, Moses
Fl. Grinnell, made change in the General
Order business and III the manner of doing
the public carriage of imported goods at that
port. Complaints being made to the De
partment, committee was appointed by
the Secretary, who made a thorough exam
ination OF the new system of carriage, and
found it to work unsatisfactory, both tc
the importers and the Government it was
of the Secretary of the Treasury, and plar
substituted in lieu thereof, which still con
tinues in force, and under which the public
carriage is done at cost of $40 cents pc
package; whereas, previously, it cost Al
cents per package.-Majority Report, D. 26.
By this reform alone, there is large say
ing to the Government on the carriage O
goods sent to the appraisers stores, which
is the only item of charges for cartage pai(
by the Government-this saving amounting
to not less than $4,000 per annum.-Se
page 73, Minority Report
Another reform speedily instituted BY Sec
retary Boutwell, was with regard to the labo
Of handling the goods in the public stores
This labor had cost the Government, durin
previous years, from S103, 300 to $40 900
year, and during one year had actually cos
about S160, 600. As soon as the contract i
being (when he became Secretary expired
Mr.. Boutwell, made new contract for tw
years, by which this labor cost only $1,000
per annum, and at the expiration of this cor
tract he made new one whereby the cost j
now only S65, 600 year. Here is saving c
some $4,000 year. Moreover, the Chan
Der OF Commerce recently declared that thi
very labor, though so much more cheapl
done, is now "more satisfactorily performe
than ever before.''
THE FACTS ABOUT THE GENERAL ORDER BUS
NESS.
The general order business has alread
been briefly described. Let US now candid
examine the facts bearing upon the subjec
Up to February, 1870, it had been the pra
tice for certain great ocean steamship lin
to discharge their cargoes in warehouses {
their own docks, which were in Jersey Ci
and Hoboken, respectively.
In February, 1870, Collector Grinne1l,
order, discontinued this practice, and +
quired all general order goods, as soon
discharged, to be delivered at warehouses
the New York side of North River.
This was the origin of the contest that h
since SO greatly agitated the public on t
general order business. The reasons Civ
by the Collector for this change were, th
goods stored on the Jersey side were oft
stolen, or changed; that the stores were 81
rounded by smuggiers, and that it was wrol
IN theory to allow unclaimed goods to rema
IN the custody of the steamship lines, WI
or their agents, were themselves importe
Against this order the steamship compani
and many of the merchants of New Yo
protested, and hence the contest amo
tl Inose whom noted Senator has dubbed t
knights of the General Order.' There "
not only a conflict between the steamsl
companies and the Collector of the Port.
a difference of judgment also arose betwe
Inc collector and the Secretary At lens
Jhe Secretary, after a careful examination