The New York herald., 1875-08-18
THE EMIGRATION INVESTIGATION.

OLD TAMMANY TRY REPUBLICAN REFoBMERs
The Legislative Committee of Investigation into the
alleged Irregularities Of the Board Of Commissioners Of
Emigration met yesterday morning in Castle Garden,
! Speaker Mcclure in the chair
The first witness called Commissioner Maujer,
who to his having been appointed by the Board
| in 1873 He served on the Wards Island and Castle
Garden committees The supplies on Wards Island
may occasionally have been overcharged; when this
happened, the contractors bills down by the
Finance Committee In two instances inferior goods
which had been furnished rejected and returned.
There have been at times differences of opinion among
the Commissioners respecting the internal management
of affairs and consequent of harmony in action
followed There great difference account of
religious opinions the chapel Wards Island the
source of some trouble it being question whether the
place should be free scctarian. The disagreement
finally adjusted by means of resolution adopted by
| the Board
The rate of head money will not affect immigration in
any way Steamship companies might combine TO di-
vert the tide to other ports Of the country but would
fail to accomplish their object The true impulse to
immigration is to be found in the friends of people in
Europe, who send them funds and otherwise show the
advantages that immigrants reap by coming to this CITY,
The reduction in the number of employees made by
the present Board desirable and timely; though it
|
The new Board was inexperienced and needed help
from experienced employees; but when the
Board became ''posted" it reduced the force.
| Occasionally experienced persons discharged and
! inexperienced appointed in their places
notably Mr. Cassery displaced and Mr. Webster ap
pointed by majority of the Board An impression
prevailed in the Board that Casserly was in league with
certain officials who were taking
COMMISSIONS FOR THE SALE OF TICKETS.
This suppression took the form of charges but
it pretext for action the part of the majority OF
the Board.
Mr. Alvord-was it alleged that Mr.. Casserly had
turned to be a republican,
Mr. Maujcr-It reported, and republican mem
bers opposed his removal on political grounds
The Finance Committee called the Boards attention
to the matter Of excessive salaries, and the question
was referred back to the committee who then graded
salaries and recommended reduction in the force.
Immigration fell of very much in 1872 and the per-
centage of decrease more felt in New York than
anywhere else throughout the country The witness
thought that this did not originate in high or low head
money If the rate of head money were raised to So so
| it would not divert a single immigrant from New York
The profit which steamship companies make on
immigrants is larger than that gained from either
cabin passengers freight and this proved by the
that companies having freight at Boston transport
! immigrants there from New York, paying their ex-
penses; the business of the Board might have been
more economically managed; the falling Off in immi-
grafton is principally due to the acknowledged depres-
sion in trade and bad times all the United States
Mr.. Bernard Casserly was recalled, and testified sub
stantally as iolows:-
to the fact that his place was wanted by the Custom
House republicans He astonished to hear Mr..
Mauer nsinuate that charges might have been brought
against him. If this why did Maujer vote for
him, believing, he must that the witness was liable
to charges of dshonorabe nature? If Maujer voted
for witness under these circumstances he unfit to
hold the position OF Commissioner of Emigration. The
witness now read set Of complimentary resolutions
passed by the Board in his favor when he ceased to be
member of it,
The Chairman did not admit that Casserly had been
removed account of politics.
DtIin his tnettDa that tto
committee of 1872 attributed to his efforts of the
success which they had accomplished; during the
it charged that witness copperhead because
he interlered with people enlisting Immigrants, who
seized and sold into the army like head
in those days no man outside the Union League Club
safe there was, and is, prejudice on the part
Custom House officials to any one having an Irish name
Mr.. Gedney-Mr Chairman, is all this TO 80 in evi
dence?
Chairman-I suppose so; it is Mr.. Casserly's state
ment.
The witness said this present Board came into Office
in June, 1878; the payroll of employees in the ole
Boards time averaged S11 200 per month and that O
the Board for corresponding period of lvC
months, more than S11, 800; and would have ex
ceeded this but for the bankrupt state Of the Board
revenues, and an undenaby excessive
PRESSURE OF PUBLIC OPINION,
which called for reduction in salaries the sum OF
these amounted to $4,000 per annum IN 1874; the
Board were bankrupt and SO represented them
selves to the Legislature. Tho employees
on inc HsI lor IeHlot"i , MeIo oiu hauus %
the Board because three of the Commissioners wanted
to retain old employees and dismiss newly appointed
politicians. The old Beard called the Talnmany Ring
Board only turned twelve per cent Of their hands in
the space of two years; the new Board turned out
twenty per cent of them in seven months
On pay day, when the clerks Castle Garden received
their saaries-n october, 1SI4-a certain Mr.. W. II.
Smith stood at the side of the rreasurers door, and
the clerks got their money asked contributions TO aid IL
THE ELECTION OF BIGLGN
Smith was then clerk in the employ of the Board o
Commissioners of Emigration. These facts re
ported to the Commissioners and Mr.. Forest de-
nounced such action, which was solely for political pur
poses In the previous Board IN 1870 letters wer.
sent from Tammany Hall asking for assessments. The
practice then obtained of sending receipts parties
who expected to contribute; the witness had re
ceived such receipt this year. The act of Smith las
year was unprecedented lie was, it appears the ap
pontee of Stevenson. Mr. Murphy, the exCollector
helped TO get
The deponeat now thinks that foreign members OF
the Board should be limited to- the exercise Of advisory
action only and that all natonates should be repre-
sented The witness here took great credit to himself
for what he had done in favor Of the immigrants, and
that but for him the Board would not now be in ex
istence
Mr. Alvord and the chairman objected to the eulogy
which Cassery pronounced upon himself
The deponent continued his statement saying thai
from 1858 the amount of salaries gradually went VI
from year another, until the highest point wa:
touched in 1871 In 1872 the amount OF salaries de
creased, but grew larger again in 1873
Mr.. Gedney-Do you think the salaries, as at present
fixed, too high
Mr. Cassery certainly does not think them toe
high and believes that even if immigration increased
there clerical and other help enough employed
to meet such contingency. From and since 1873 re-
form and necessary.
The Secretary the Board of Commissioners of Emf
grafton now submitted TO the committee statement
showing the number of employees at Wards Island
at Castle Garden who had resigned had been re-
moved from the month Of May 1873, to March, 1875.
The number on the Wards Island Committee was thir
teen by resignation, eight by removal and two dc
ceased The corresponding changes in the Castle
Garden Committee were-resignations, four; removals
sixteen; by abolition of office, fourteen The report
however, says that reapponments subsequently
made to the last named category Of Offices
The committee then adjourned.