Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-01-22
THE W%HARFMASTER.

Will He be a Practical MANI
To the Editor of the Ledger.
River men seem to have an abiding
faith in the good intentionsof our Mavop
elect, Judge Flippin, and think he can
know but little Of the many populations
incident to that of Wharfmaster or anv
city officer, when there is no greater
safeguard against peculation thrown
around an officer, where there is the
same amount of money collected as
there is for wharfage in this city. For
years have observed, and carefully. and
can see no possible way of detecting
fraud under the present system of keen.
Ing tie collection books. Not that 7
think any mar who may get the Office oe
Wharfmaster dishonest; far from Il NV
theory is to think all men honest till
they are proven guilty; and upon the
hypothesis that the appointee may be-
honest, he will not object to all the re-
strietions the city may deem prudent to
throw around him, for the door to fraud
IS as Dig as a bsrn-door. Let me sug-
gest: Make your Wharfmaster have q
book for the purpose, with regular
printed headings, with name ofboat. her
cargo, hour of arrival, hour of departure
the time she lays in port and the amount
paid, whether it is long'o or short wharf
age, and the amount, with two receipt
books, receipt and stubs-one for the
clerk Of the boat and one for the Wharf
master. This is some little trouble, bat
the rule ought to be adopted by ali
means, and no honest man will object.
if he does, turn him out. | will rive Won
a little idea bow this peculation may be
carried on: Take, as a data, a boat that
pays $40 for the first six hours; then.
il she lays four, six or eight hours Longer
she IS liable, under the ordinance, to a
an addition Of five cents per ton, which
amounts to an average of $40 to $4A
making the 8 o called long wharfage in
and about S65-a beautiful charge in
deed for such a privilege. There is moth
ing more easy than to pocket $4,000 per
term Of the Wharimaster, and there
is no possible means Of detecting the
fraud except in the manner proposed.
There is another mean by which quite
an amount can be flched from the city
Golfers. Men are sometimes very weak
on certain points and easily led astrav.
When a boat has once paid her fee for
the first six hours--the time allowed bv
the ordinance she finds it to her inter.
est to lay a while over the time, how
easy for the captain or clerk, who are
pretty good takers, nice and plausible
to Mr.. Whar6nger-" we are liable
for a long Wharfage, but we have NOT
done a great deal; | will Just give Won
an \ and call it even" Now an X is no
small thing, and quiets the nerves down
considerably, especially when it IL
argued the boat has done but little by
laying over, and all 60 home satisfied.
There are no great improbabilities in
these suggestions; therefore spread out
the mantle of prevention to its full ex-
tent have these books aud duplicate re.
ceipts brought into use and You will be
pretty well protected. Give me the Office
Of wharfage collector and / will give YOU
all the protection you demand and all the
money collected for a much less rate Of
interest than you now pay, aud nav YOU
every Saturday night. Now let me saw
to his honor, the Mayor, give ns a wharf
master who will be entirsly acceptable to
the river men, a man who can 90 and
show the boats where TO land, make
others, when II ia necessary, slack up
their lines, and render to the boats such
assistance as they require night or day.
Don't give us a man who thinks he
knows 1t all, as though he had been
raised on 3 steamboat, and is still a1
ass. The idea to me OF palming off on
as useful q class of people as are at the
head of the commerce on this noble
river, simply because you can do it, or
because OF his having held the position
OF ward politician and did some service
inthe election just passed, would be an
insult to the dignity of the people you
represent, and | do not, cannot believe,
it will be done. Give US, the river men,
a fair showing. STRAMBOATMAN.