The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-06-05

After ten DAYS vacation, during which they have
made partial report the Secretary Of tho Treasury
or their lubors the commission to Investigate affairs
connection with the customs service met yesterday at
noon the rooms OF the Chamber OF Commerce.
This was donc order odate tho merchants
who proposed TO appear yesterday and state their
grievances, besides making suggestions. The
chants had evidently made elaborate preparations
the event. nearly everything fully written out
and read from manuscript, which aterwaTd turned
over to the commission To DO printed
The session was commenced by MIR. Jay reading the
following letcr from the Secretary Of the Treasury
THE QUESTION SALARIES
TREASURY DEPARTMENT.
- orrlcs or r,ln ss,Ecns,Any,
Hon. JOIN JAY Chairman New York Custom House Com
SIR desire to present consideration OF your
conisson in addition 70 the matters referred to IL by
Custom q Ins s lie Of are S aa
by law win thank You to examine this question and r.
sa be Just ana tasms Into WOW the
70 prevail 1s The salaries a ana
have been large and thai those paid
for similar services ~ regard to comnlants received BY
the commission respectins The custom, Laws and
viii please report such suggestions tending this end
may after careful investigation, meet with united
JOHN siiEIAAN. Secretary Of tile Treasury
RECOMMENDATIONS MERCHANTS
Mr. Sherburne b. Eaton counsel Tor tho Commit
teo Revenue Reform OF the Chamber OF Commerce,
had a very elaborate report prepared whch lie pro-
ceedcd read 10 tho commission In this no treated
mercantile affairs connected with the revenue,
embracing twcnty-three points. as foilows:-
/. The abolition Of the Naval Office
= Oaths 90 entries to be made before any notary public
s. lie abolition OF trplicate invoices
The abolition Of cen n, Ger certificates G,
Entries TO be passed tho same day they are left at the
4 total change IRON nd vaorem to specific duties
Tho repeal Of tue present lazy authorizing tho govern
aye in each invoice 70 allow tao mpo,ters he
in lieu that law, prossio allowing government
is ws SNAIL w1 ne, or ss Of =.
expiration Of which tms the entire invoice the
q Completion o. liquidation Of entry within thirty days
such liquidation 20 be nal adjustment and end ol al
touching the importation.
TO- Tho Of pey foes including foes Tor permits
H. DUTY now assessed market value If il is more
than value Let the lay be changed that duty
will always be assessed on market value.
IL. The Custom House u be KEEP, from nine
is reduction Of charges At general order
a. The prompt filing by wcghers gaugers Of their
Is fe total abolition OF all damage allowances and the
repeal Of all laws providing for the sumo
Of 10 double the Duties '0 ''
other expenses goods entered Tor consumption
%p s lw tor Ss xpgr y ,s
goods purchased while IN bond
shall also pay interest and the other
~ Where goods entered Tor inland transportation
carernd from the importer let Of these
~ Let entries DC taken entire charge Of by che 4ssom
House from time OF presentation to payment OF duty
An adequate system. Of eqnsIisng apprassmsnts at
custom houses
SPECIFIC DUTIES PREFERABLE.
| Mr. Eaton elaborated considerably on the above,
especially on tho proposition to dept the specific In.
stead OF the ad vaorem SYSTEM which, he says Will
drive many honest merchants out OF business IL tho
ad vaiorem system romans as at present Out Of ITO
importers who gave thor opinion on this tariG qucs-
ton only Ave not In favor Vt tho proposed "spe-
cinc rate and their opposition iron the pecu.
liar nature oil Their business For Instance, one was
importer Of guns, and u would scarcely do him
TO pay as much duty on gun costing IS as would be
charged a gun worth $780, which specific tariff
would exact
KEArPRAIsEMRNr FEES.
Tho counsel also strcnuonsly recommended the
adjustment Of tho II fee VII ch merchants pay
when calling for u rcappraiscmcnt, and such
goods instead II being locked up should DO released
adequate bonds after the proper samples have been
retained by tho appraiser.
| Another gross abuse sMowh up rs the compusion or
! the government IN making merchants pay Tor tho
negligence OF us agents. For instance, H. B. Cuiu 4
Co had Sc, 900 worth OF goods stolen OF bouded
warehouse They not only hal TO pocket the loss
the government forced the firm TO pay the duty the
stolen goods. Furthermore, the vaclilating policy Of
tho Treasury department in It's decisions rs working
great mischief 10 commerce. Numerous cases have
occurred where tho decision OF yesterday was
changed to-day, involving srcat loss to merchants.
| Tho Chamber recommends that .whcn decisions arc
maze on rates oil dutcs there shall BIO changes
| made
VIEWS or MR. DANIEL c. ROBBINS
/ Comparisons very elaborate scale, also back cd
1 up by igurcs, were made by Mr. Daniel Z. ROBINS,
VINO followed Mr. Eaton This gentleman was strong
advocate oil ''specnc duties. In lis opinion a con-
sular certificate useless He compared the ~ stem
oil collecting the rev nue. England with chat the
United states. in the former tncrc only ten ar
ticcs upon which a tarH was exactou, ana which
turned a. much income the 500 ARTICLES taxed IN
this country with very triing outlay. Tho cooc-
ton OF tho United States should not cost the
government than two and a-half per at the
utmost Mr. Robbins denounccd the iarih list as
confused medley without having any regard Tor the
merchants, and work Of hasty partisan Legislation.
lie concluded by opposing any allowance for damage
by tho government, then there viii tc iavoritsn
shown and one importer cannot undcrsel the other,
because ,rilng damage will not be magnined into one
hall OF the entire value OF tho damaged invoice
GRIEVANCES MR.. THOMAS BARBOUR.
This gentleman came before tho commission TO lay
bare some OF tho many wrongs inflicted upon Inc mer.
chants aud importers. lie read lengthy uocament,
In which nc made a detailed s.ato mcn OF Isl OF
merchandise, valued at 80, IA IS. 3d. which were In.
ported between April 20 and August 2, 1876 AMI not
delivered until September IS OF thai year. The
paid the Isl cases amounted over s2D, 900 goJ.
Mr. Barbour continucd:--.
These goods which had paid duty, were detained
In the APPRAISERS Department from Aprii 20 1876
months involving great and loses e. Our
firm and scron, embarrassment 20 regular business
characterized mportatious Tor quarter
century and IN account for tLe questinns
raised ny the appraisers except 10 attribute them their
OF the subject We
the reeeded r.m every position Ia which these
incompetent officials placed II, and never called
upon my obtain posse sion Of
disc long and 80 unjnsty retained by the
also present 10 2entlemcn staten
merchants of tue highest standing Ia unity
merchants who have been In business halt
century. whvsc nnd reputation aud
TO them than tho mere qnetoa % dollars and
nave statement her. Which shows where 21B
imported goods detained aud ordered the
Of ihc United stniss " examination and detained Tor
labor &c aud ALSO statement OF sevany.two
by the same urn On both OF thcs
government insisted ia coectng after great and veNaons
delays. the patty sum OF 81 ~ The the
porter the delay and detention such 90 amount
goods only be calculated by thousands dollars
IScoMpErESr, ARBITRARY AND Oppressive.
Mr. Barbour read a letter received by hm from
Messrs John and Hugh Auchncloss, In winch they
said
Wc beg to say that consider the powers with which
Is of tho lie