New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-08-28
To The Hon. JoHy SHERMAN, Secretary Of The Tred
I'D
NJ. ". BURNS.
CHARLES BLACKIE,
+. Il. THORPE,

Ono Of the weghers authorized to speak for the body,
said to TgIT NJ reporter: "The Commission came hero
fully determined bring about the result it has
reached II offered premium to persons to come before
II and abuse the wcighers by pledge to those who thus
testified that they would be protected from discharge 1t
is understood among the weghers that there no per
son called who was expected 10 give any evidence show
ing the working OF the weigher department, and com
petent person who had prepared statement
ana who is known TO have done IL carefully,
was not permitted 10 go before the Commission.
The appendix published in THE TRIBUNE taken from the
Jaw Report rs showing ga list OF irregular fees 70 be
charged for copies OF returns Of weight, said by a
wegher to have been adopted by the Board Of Weeher
Is in every respect n msstatemcnt II furnished by
a weigher named Owens. The woighers, with
out an exception sent letter TO the Com
mission, under the sacredncss Of oath, that
they never adopted this schedule. and never heard
of before Il was presented by Mr owens The weigh
ing ~ the Port Of Now-IorJ includes twrhr's OF the
VEGETABLE goods of tho United States. and MI MaIse,
specal irs cctor sent here from Wasin gon said that
Dc hvd visited every large port in the United states and
declared that the expense ~ weighing here was lower
than ~ other poIt, and much cheaper than at any
port in the World ~ ,
'Ihcre has bfen made upon the weiehers for
years" continued this speaker land there Is 10 reason
To believe otEerwise than that, body they ore hon-
est; but when o. them IT, detected IN an error or
worse instead ~ di-charng him, he Is kept IN otice
through political influences. and the body of WeigheIs IS
against toe weehers by the JAY Commission is thot we
never do fhC weighing Tie reason Tor tlsJS sln} lGal
arc NET allowed 90 do 10 by law rs 10 the question
o. frauds take sugar 81 IN instance. u Is weighed ny
synrn officer called assistant wciCher, under TIE
suYerntcnteuce Of foreman and the general superys-
ion OF the wcghcr This routine Is adopted 10 avoid the
possibility rs FAR rs human ingenuity can provide OF
swindllrg the Government and wegher II dishonest,
would be comneled 10 suborn the foreman, sworn as
sisant and ~ least four lab0rers The Commission
recommend that one wchcr and tire necessary number
Of ahorcrs the wcghng and should he put In force
it would hi Ing about immense amount OF clTrlpun'
What tn honest wcighcrs won't is that each district De
reviewed by itself. they DO not want 10 be cnndenneh
in lump Another strong point m favor OF ihe wfgh-
ers lies In The fact that the Government allows 3 per
cent Tor weighing 200 pounds, and apprOplaes cor
tain sum for weighing Last year the gross amount ior
expenses $4,000 less than The allowance crrdii.
abb saving bu strm gy overlooked IN the Jay Iepori
" The routine Of the weigneis department me "iccls
said 's the result ~ very many years experience. Ihe
system percct possible 10 make men honest IN
tire performance az thrr duties The Teigher have been
cnibarrla 10y political cntau clements that thcy can
not control Men been assigned from time 70 te
as abo-rrs and uborduatcs no not fitted for the
work. but the wcighcrs had no discretion and
were cOmpelled 20 submit the powers that
be- II the jay Commission had treated the
,ycig crs fairly the members probably would have
discovered many places where reform could have been
applied and instead ~ doubling The force ~ they
recommend. they would have aeen that ne force
could Doe reduced To nine. tlo harbOr naturally dividing
the city into nine districts"