, 1873-02-15
TO the Editor Of the "St. Croix Avis"
Mr.. Editor,

NIL 1AulLOE,
Under date of the list February 1897, an
Ordinance for the regulating of the affairs
OF the Custom Department enacts, in its S
81, the following -" No Custom Official
must have interest in ships, or take part in
any trafick, Or civil trading, or occupation,
unless he has proposed it for consideration
to the Chief Administrator oil Custom,
and h. has given permission, after having
found out that such is consistent with his
official duties" Furthermore, this para
graph Of the said Ordinance stands in full
force, without restriction, pursuant to the
Royal Resolution OF the goth August 1919.
But, to all appearance, the principle in
clude1 in this paragraph has been totally
ignored by our Administration here for a
certain official who is comptroller in the
Custom Department at Frederiksted, is
engaged in such trade and trafick as is
directly opposed to this principle of Law.
1st.-He is comptroller at Frederiksted
with a sd larry OF $1,000 p. d., which income
Is far too high for the amount of work
which is done for it but il suits him well,
as he requires much time to attend to his
other business, and this is Just the situation
that supplies a large surplus of the article.
2nd-He is purveyor for the garrison,
the e%moIuments arising from which are not
despisabIe.
3rd.-He Is puryeyor for the military
and communal hospitals, where the per
qulsltes are many; for the expenses for
providing for the sick are greater than those
for providing for the well, while the con-
sumption is not so great.
4th-He keeps two rum-shops, one ia
the Fort of Frederiksted, another at the
Centre District, Kings Hill, in both of
which are sold nearly al those commodi-
ties that are retaiIed in the shops in town
and this business he carries on without a
Burgher's Brief, or paying any of those
expenses which are incumbent on Shop
keepers and Reimbursement the Porters
and Jobbers-to pay to the Government.
9Th And last of all but not least of all,
he IS purVeyor for the penal gang. He, of
course, to supply the daily consumption of
his business, imports largely and like
other importers, ought to deal largely with
the Collector, Comptroller8, and Broker
and although [ do not say that he smuggles,
yet, 1t IS evident that, there is ample scope
for him to do so if he were inclined, be-
fore any body else; for it must often hap
pen III his week, that such importations
are made.
Now, Mr.. Editor let me ask if this is not
an encrOachment on the principles of JUS
tlce, when this single individual can 50 pur-
sue a course Of living in this community
without any check being put upon it, in
holding SO many kinds of business to the
detriment of several others, who might
enjoy a living-if even a small one-from
one or other of the sources by which he
is %overgorged.
But this is not all on the arrival of YES
sells, no one can go on board before the
comptroller on duty, aud he takes advau-
OF his position as Custom Official, by going
on board the Danish Ships on their arrival,
before others, to buy the provisions which
are brought for sale by the Captains and
Mates, which practice no one can fail to
see is detrimental to the interest of shop
keepers and others doing business. Shall
we wait till q" vacancies occur" before this
disorder is remedied?
Frederiksted, February 9th 1878.
Your obedt. Servt.