The Portland daily press., 1875-12-03
An Abuse.

In the days of the reciprocity treaty, Con-
gress made law authorizing customs col,ec.
tors on the Canadian frontier TO sell certain
Kinds OF blanks required by shippers for the
entry OF goods from Canada. The blanks
we've not such as the Government should
furnish, but were required of the shipper.
That act of Congress authorized customs
officials to keep and sell these blanks for the
mutual convenience Of the shipper and
ofhclal doing the business. At that time but
few OF these blanks were required, perhaps
nos more than one or two sets week at
Island Pond. Since the abrogation of the
reciprocity treaty, The demand for this kind
OF blanks las become so great that at the
eXorDitant price charged, the pay of the
collector at Island Pond is quite as much as
that of the collector of Boston or New York.
The price of these blanks is ten cents each.
Three blanks of one kind and four of another
are required for each entry, making seven in
all, ior which the officials collect seventy
cents. A set of these blanks cannot cost
over two cents. One may get an idea of the
aggregate OF these perquisites which the fror-
tier collectors derive from this source from
the fact that the Grand Trunk Railway Com.
pany in one season has paid entry fees to the
amount OF over $4,000 at Island Pond, which
at any ordinary sea.board port would have
been less than $3000-the balance, more than
9'oo0, representing the cost OF the blanks.
Competent authorities estimate that 100000
is realized by the collectors at Island Pond,
Osdensburg, Niagara, Buffalo and other from
tier districts.
We need not take time TO characterize this
blank jobbery. Every intelligent man can
but recognize it as species OF petty piracy
made possible by the perversion of an act of
Congress. 1t is strange that the Grand
Trunk Railway Company consents to pay this
tribute to the Island Pond officials. 1t is
whispered that the comranys officials SUBJ
mls because they fear TO do anything to in
woke their displeasure.
Naturally enough this assessment Of 800.
600 or more which the frontier customs Of
flcials have put upon business, is very much
priced by the gentlemen who divide it among
themselves. Under the regulations for the
entry of sealed cars which were in force pre-
vious to last spring, the Island Pond officers
were in danger of losing part or all of their
fees for blanks. If the cars were sealed be-
yond the border and sent through to Port
land for entry, there would be no call for the
seven ten cent blanks. These visilant Off
clals were not to be impoverished in this
style. Accordingly they made haste to rep
resent that the revenue was being defrauded
by the system of sealed cars then in vogue A
special treasury agent was sent TO investigate
the matter but he could not find that any
frauds had AAo', i-al
such charge. Secretary Bristow, however,
has taken the view of the frontier officials and
the result is that they not only make sure OF
selling their seven ten cent blanks but to do it
they put shippers to great inconvenience and
at Island Pond to make the entries necessary
to secure the pay for their blanks. Indeed, it
is quite possible that the business of the
Grand Trunk and the Allan steamships may
be so interfered with by these eager collectors
of fees as to materially ipjure their business
as competing lines.
The question of the right of this interfer-
ence under the Treaty of Washington is now
being considered by Secretary Fish and Min
lister Thornton, but it is likely to be some
time before it will be settled. In the mean
time some member of the Maine delegation
in Congress can introduce a bill of three or
four lines repeating the act permitting
frontier collectors to sell blanks. Such bill
when it becomes an act of Congress will set
tie all questions about the detention of sealed
cars at Island Pond. When these gentlemen
lose their fees they will no longer object TO
goods passing without Interruption through
Island Pond
Will not the Maine delegation see that the
Island Pond abuse is done away with at
oncep