New-York tribune., 1873-01-23
GENERAL ORDER REFORM.

IMPORTERS RELIEVED FROM MANY BURDENS
TIE TRIBUNEs exposures of the nature Of
the General Order business In this city under the monop
oly enjoyed by and Stocking and the subsequent
OF the Senate Committee have yielded
good fruit in the material changes which have resulted
greatly TO the advantage OF importers and merchan
The city has been divided into General Order Districts
I'm each OF which there is Government warehouse foe
the reception of goods These warehouses lie near the
rivers and near the landing places OF foreign steamer
thus efecting great saving in carriage which used 70
be heavy burden upon list OF these ware
houses Of the propretors and the auhor
lied charges caraSe and storage for each class OF
goods has been published in small volume which inn
porters can obtain at the Customhouse and by when
the General order warehousemen theoretically at least
are governed
TRIBUNE reporter has made inquiries In reference 70
the REFORM and asceramed the views of representa-
tive merchants. He first went to tho Cusomhouse Tor
the purpose talking with the brokers'. For the most
part they unwilling to speak freely on the subject
saying frankly that the nature Of their business was
such that would conflict with their interests 20 do 3d.
They admitted that there were some complaints among
merchants Of delays and overcharges, but not 40 many
as in former times and they thought there had been
great improvement. One broker talked more freely.
He said business had been greatly facilitated by
the increase number of General Order stores. and
that the charges not generally moro than 20 per
cent above those authorized In all cases Of over charge
"a
complaint the Custom-hOuse but this cost more tnne
and trouble than the money worth He said that in
several instances he had made complaint and been
referred Col Thorpe who asked him to leave the bills
for examination; returning, he had invariably found
that Col Thorpe had lost the bills, so he concuded TO
give up all such attempts, and make the best OF the
overoharges. He said that tho General Order ware
housemen told plausible story, and insisted upon IT,
that their fees not remuneratiye.
The reporter visited some OF the principal General
Order stores and talked with the ,keepers They all
thought that the old times better than the new
The charges for caage storage and labor were less un
der the orders from the Customhouse than they would
be willing do the work for under contract They said
that they adhered TO the printed rules strictly and sell
dom heard of any complaints being made
VIEWS OF IMPORTERS.
Mr. Pratt who has the general charge OF the Custom
house business OF A I. Stewart & Co.. said that they
succeeded in keeping most Of their mportatons out OF
General Order but sometimes goods arrived by num-
Der of vessels nearly at the me and it was impos
sbie to take OF them within the spested time. II
the vessel its haste to reload discharged the goods
within the 4S hours allowed by law then the goods went
to General Order warehouses at the expense OF the
vessel and the firm deducted the charges from tho
freight bill. II the goods went into General Order
through sheir neglect through their inability TO
obtain the invoices, sometimes the case, they
paid the charges themselves Mr. Pratt not willing.
on short notice. to enter upon minute discussion
of the workings OF the new system, but said that the
charges and delays less voxatous than they had
BEEN There evils inherent in the whole business
of General Order. but it had been greatly improved
Messrs. Cafin Co. manage TO keep their goods out
of General Order che most par and expressed them
selves as satisfied with the treatment which they
received when their importSwere IN the warehouses;
b. G.. Arnold Co., heavy importers OF yea ana eonee
expressed much qualification at the fact that their goods
received duty free and they were freed from
ing charge OF the Customhouse business for the frm n
formed the reporter that their goods usually arrived In
large lots and promptly taken care Of None had
gone into General order except few small lots,
which the charges had been much greater than the
printed schedule allowed The increase duo 10 IN
Vulnerable extra charges The whole management OF
the business was gpcst Sa M
the the charges being 200 or 400 per cent greater
than at present. ,,
Paddock Fowler extensive importers OF and deal
in foreign fruits They have had considerable ekP
rience In the General Order BUSINESS, both unaer ,no
former and the present rule. They said that the I'M
provemeDt had been very great. The charges IN tns
Gehgs Utur Sres ana the sre number Of such
stores near the landingplaces OF vessels treaty he
goods SS Went nto S General Order they special
General Order and sent them 10 bonded warehouse
FEM and NOT 10 the present management They told Of
of spolation OF goods In bond whcn used
by the Senate CustOmhouse Committee last WINTER Az
October last, fortyye cases OF ngs were sent 70 .n
one night In this brief time about ten poanus W.T.. ,h
stolen from each case. Complaint was naao ns,sy ~ M
Movers and his employees contending tnat S nd aan r
goods had ahstracted before the cases naa uoo
oeyed This Messrs Paddock 81 fOwlss huo s,sr ,SsS
not the fact, as the cases had been "osnou "'' ''
were taken from the ship ,.ota.. An Meditar-
Messrs- f. Cousinery & Co. are naea came bv ssil-
ranean and Turkish goods. Most OF THESE cou
nS vessels opium and few more costly socIs pess
brought by steamer. They nave ha % old MONOPOLY and
the present and told tine rSpceT say a
Improvement was very sss ss ,.are atm subieoted but
they believed these unsyoidao,s 80 ong ss inc S
tenn was ma ntained Tue piiess "er1 s ~ s shat
,aar ndad ware houses, but the dinorenoe was lhas
goods were put into bonded warehouses WIN Tue & sn
bsv werr nat ngo General Order warehouses; ior ShI
,y or two aud had 70 pay storage Tor month, lhey