The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-22


(, MARCH ~, 1873.-TKIPl
the Gar, and the correspondent was defeated.
Telling this incident with such minuteness of
detail as the Scotchman has done indicates
that he is carefully studying the tactics he re-
cords, and will. if possible initiate them.
Again, the Paris correspondent of the London
Times. under date of February "a, copies the
main part of the HERALD Gambetta interview,
thus enabling the readers of the British Thun-
derer to see at secondhand and months after
their original publication, the political opin-
ions and plans of q prominent leader of French
republicanism, and one of the most influential
of the men whose counsel controls the destiny
Of tho nation. After thus endorsing the value
of the interviewer's labor by republishing his
report, there is q probability that the Times
may send its own writer's upon similar errands.
Great improvement is to be hoped for in the
British press whom il thus shows the DISPOSE
ton to follow American example; and the
British public is thereon to be congratulated.
The Attempt to Increase tho Emi.
grant Taxa Needed Reform.
A bill has been introduced in the Assembly
by Mr.. Pierson, of Albany, increasing the
emigrant head-money from one dollar and
half to two dollars and q half per head. The
increase is asked for by the Commissioners of
Emigration, who allege that the present tax
does not yield sufficient to meet the expenses
of the Commission. The money, although
nominally collected of the ship-owners, comes
out Of the pockets of the emigrants, in the
shape of increased rates of passage, or is made
up by means Of the stinted quantity or inferior
quality of the food supplied to them on the
journey. The Legislature some time ago de-
creased the tax from two dollars and half to
two dollars and subsequently to its present
amount, and there is no good reason whatso-
ever for its restoration to the larger sum. The
bill has found no favor from the New York
representatives, not one of whom would consent
even to become responsible for its introduction.
It is significant that it could find no member
to place it before the Legislature except the
representative of the New York Central Rail
road, which is one Of the corporations allowed
to sell tickets to emigrants inside Castle Gar
den.
1t is to be hoped that the Legislature will
make short work of this impudent attempt to
swell the large sum of money annually
handled by the Commissioners of Emigration.
There has long been suspicion that the
finances of the Board would not show salts
factorily in the event of ON honest and thorough
investigation extending over term of years,
and there are rumors that large amount Of
money invested in securities of various descrip-
tons has never been properly accounted for.
Investigating committees have been from time
to time appointed by the State Legislature,
but they have ended as such inquiries gener-
ally do, and the old ring inside the manage
ment has been suffered 10 continue its opera
tons unmolested. A large amount of money
passes through the hands of the Commission,
and the business of the depot, in all its
branches including the sale Of railroad
tickets, is capable of being made huge
sion, although containing some good
names, is, in fact q relic of the old
Taminsny rule, and as such is not en-
titled to public confidence We have
recently seen some Of the prominent Tammany
politicians on the Board contending for the
admission to the Garden of an agent of the
Erie Railway, who has amassed q fortune out
of emigrant running and emigrant boarding
house keeping, and who has been subjected to
term Of imprisonment for violation of the
emigrant laws. Although the Board has not
yet ventured to adopt the dangerous theory
that any man, however bad his character,
may be admitted to the Garden and placed in
close contact with the emigrants so long as he
has committed no offence against the rules Of
the Commission inside the depot, and although
the application of this Erie Railway agent for
recognition by the Board has not yet been
passed upon, we learn that he is actually ad-
mitted to the Garden by permission Of the
Committee, and has thus been allowed to
do business with tho emigrants while grave
charges were pending over him. The Super
intendent has appeared singularly in the in
terest of this agent, and we cite these facts as
aproof of the unsatisfactory character Of the
present management Of the Commission: H.:
We commend this subject to the attention of
Governor Dix and of the Legislature. There
lis no doubt that the whole business Of the
Emigrant Commission needs ventilation and
publication. No proper investigation into the
past and no satisfactory reform for the future
can be made until the present management is
rooted out and until the Tammany wheel
inside the wheel of the Commission has been
removed. New men, and good ones, are