The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-08

duced In it, stead. There II ample evidence on
record In the State Department that, as matters
now stand, the existing system has all the appear
ance Of being too often turned into private
patronage market II looks as II some consuis
were paid apart-that Is to say. one consul BY the
government another consul by the public.
THE FRENCH CoNsULATEs.
In France we have eleven consulates, with
numerous agencies. None OF the salaries attached
to these places are remunerattve or make 1t
worth mans while to hold the ONCE unless he
has private means TO sustain his position. The
Immediate consequence or this system OF underpay
IS that he Is obliged to establish agencies and
vice consulates whereby he is enabled to augment
his income. In one instance there is q consulate
In France where the exports to the United States
are considerably less than 100000, while the
aggregate exports Of two agencies attached TO this
consulate amount to say slO,oOo0oO. The fees &C
cruing from the iatters~of course, increase tae
consui's income; but 1t Is evident that the place
held BY the consul Ii worthless without agencies,
and that the seat OF the consul ought to be at one
Of the agencies.
The entire export from France foots up to
$40. 900 per annum nearly half OF which tails to
Paris. All the remainder Ia spread over ten other
c0nsulates.
OUR GERMAN C0NsULs.
In Germany we have more than twenty consul
lates, with an aggregate amount OF export barely
reaching to the one Consulate OF Paris Fully hal
these German consulates might well be abolished.
AS they stand they are not an honor to our
country. The disgrace-ior. though that's o harsh
word, 1t Is not unjust-does not attach to any OF
the individuals who hold these places but to those
who create these places. Within an easy ride,
varying from one to four or Eve hours. we have
between the city Of Frankfort-on the Main, Caris-
ruhe and Stuttgart, series Of useless consulates.
Extremely unpleasant things might be written on
the manner In which these posts are filled and the
mode In which business is conducted and the re-
sources through which the cOnsuis augment their
incomes. 1t is kinder to be silent; for. although
1t might naturally be supposed that business OF
such Importance as that connected with the
United States should require close attention, II Is
nevertheless notorious fact that few OF
the c0nsuls attend, or make pretence OF attend
ing to It, more than from three TO four hours daily.
The rule laid down In the sular regulations Is
that the consul shall keep his Office open during
the usual business hours. This rule is not adhered
to; nearly all the consuls maze the public service
subservient to their own convenience. While one
opens his Office from nine till one O'Clock another,
residing only thirty or forty miles distant. will
make it rule to keep the office open from ten till
twelve O'Clock, then close till two O'Clock and
open from two till three O'Clock, for the transac.
ton OF any business which may be presented.
There should be one uniform practice respecting
the opening ana shutting OF public 0f1ces, which
are main tained Tor the benefit or communities,
not for that or Individuals and consuiates should
conform to that practice, unless climate or excep-
tional circumstances compel deviations.
CONSULAR STATIONERY.
Moreover, there are many other consular peculi-
arties which need little public attention just
now While our youngsters find harmless but
inexplicaple entertainment IN collecting defaced
postage stamps they might derive equal amuse-
ment and more instruction from collecting the DIFF
ferent varieties OF blank forms OF certificates in
use at consulates and the astonishing sorts OF
stamps and seals with which these certificates are
ornamented. The law prescribes the use OF
uniform schedule, and at one period the depart
ment would even furnish these certificates,
printed under contract at Washington. In the first
place the certificates so supplied were not used
for the simple reason that with the ingenious ten
dency to bunder which charactcrizes most
official proceedings, they we're printed on
the heaviest kind OF paper which could
be found, SO az to subject tho consul to
an enormous bill for postage. To escape this in-
niction most consuls caused their own certificates
to be printed, ana In doing each
consul consulted his own taste, which
was sometimes OF fancful and decorative
kind, ana the display Of stars, stripes and
spread eaglesm upon consular documents is often
something quite wonderful. Probably there are not
three consulates where the certificates issued are
alike. Some are printed in French, others in Ger
man, to suit customers, while few only are printed
In our own language The phraseoogy Of GER
tifcates is also changed In accordance with the
Judgment OF consus, whose ideas OF composition
are not always governed by sufncient respect for
grammatical customs. The same queer disregard
OF settled principles exists with reference to con-
sular stamps and seals Impressed upon invoice
certificates A strange diversity OF language aud
an infinite variety OF design in the eagle Is dis
played and it requires almost special education
to comprehend the meaning Of these things. Such
oddities should not be permitted in public Offices;
there should be but one consular stamp and one
mode OF doing consular business. In no other
country would consus be allowed TO make their
ofncial stamp and seal ridiculous.
CONSULAR AGENCIES.
Ali consular agencies should bee abolished at
once and forever. The system OF depending upon
ices Is perniciOus in itself, and must be upset By
Its own folly. 1t represents an error at present
but too common in the minds OF shallow people
namely, o tendency to invert the natural order OF
things, by making an end OF that which ID means
and means OF that which should be an end.
to relinquisn certain manufacturing district be-
cause. he gays, my income, being dependent on
fees, amounts only to q few hundred dollars a
year, while you, brother consul with salary,
are making severa. thousand dollars Tor the gov
ernmentn
.What odds9' continues the former to the latter,
becoming earnest In his entreaties, III you con-
sent to relinQuish certain district to enable me
to get a living by enjoying fees which do you no
good, inasmuch as you only collect them for the
Treasury. whereas If they belonged 10 me- should
be able to exist"
There is conulate in France. 1t would be
cruel to mention 1t more particularly, for the
holder OF this ONCE receives $500 year
and perqusites which he might be sorry to lose.
He has, however, literally nothing TO do for his
pay and allowances beyond signing and stamp
ing the certificates OF few invoices, the total
value OF which does not exceed 100000 annually.
Rut he has agencies Mt COrnac--th0 trade from