New-York tribune., 1877-05-19
A BAD DAY FOR WEIGHERS
CUsToM-HoUsE REVELATIONS.

especially interesting 10 the three wciSers who tesss
on Wednesday and aso TO Gen. Sharpe who suQges,as
! TO the commission that these three weighers ve,.
! good examples OF their class. The commi.s,o1
has invited merchants and others b testify 4,
the following words "Tbe Commission, having nea,lv
completed ts examination OF officers Of the custom,
touching the conduct OF the various branches OF the eu
toms service, ready 10 receive inf rnaton or afe.
from importers. merchants, Custon-housc brokers ,rd
other citizens looking TO the integrity. economy asA
efficiency Of the service. Complaints marked conai.D
! tia will be 50 treated, and parties ready 10 spu,,,
before the commission will please advise Il by note o,
| the points Of which they propose 70 treat"
committee OF three from the National P0iiors' Am
citation called upon the Commission and complained NJ
the present manner of examining aud appFaislng IN
ported china an eaithenBaro. As rule only one paek
age ont Of an invoice examined while the law ~
quires that package IN tn shOId DO examined Tia
committee believed there colusion between the in
pOrtcrs and the examiners few days ag0 many cus
tom-house brokers presented memorial urging that
clerks be not allowed to act noares Yesterday tao
Commission received a memorial from 60 mercantile
firms thai do not employ brokers' asking that the cbangs
suggested be not formally considered.
Thomas s. Knox of No. POI Sscondaye estlGad ye.
tertay that he served three years foreman under
Wegher James Owens Of the Vth District; be was dis
missed in 1875 when the force reduced BIS appoint
ment was duo to his support OF Mr. Owens as Super
him complete list Of fees TO he dcmandcd Of merchants
for supplying copies OF the returns OF weights.
This list was submitted 10 the Commiss SION Tie fees
ranged from cents 80 cents per ton for iron and
other metals various forms, and the amounts " DO
levied per bag barrel pacEage Of frs nuts. rice.
malt sugar, and many other articles were carefully
specified. Sugar in casks, bags, or mats was
put down as with city wcigher half labor"
Mr.. Knox said this meant that the city welgher
n.ft
half the cost or the laborcrs II the gan. Of weigher,
earEei $50 Of the Government, the city wegher paid
the Government weigher SO. The witness made coec-
tions according 10 the schedule at low estimate,
800 month for three years, aud Owens
paid him Is per cent for makiug the collections.
Owens quarreed with him about thefees and six moHtn
afterward he wac discharged Members OF the AXh
Assembly District Republican Association were sent to
him with orders to give them employment Some Of
them he dismissed for drunkenness and stealing ami
they were reappointed some letters signed by Mr.
pbuus the Collectors secretary Mr.. owens bad two
extensive col yards in 1873, and gave BIS attention
largely 10 that business only coming 70 the docks IN Ito
afternoon and not every day nj that The witness sail
that snco the Commission began ITS inquiry ne had Dcen
offered a place and 81 per day. without work IN re-
turn he was to agree not to appear before the COmms
sion.
James owens then testified denying many OF Mr.
Kpoxs siatcments bat admitting the schedule Of fees
He could rot say how much these fees Dioushi mo
him-perhaps $500 or $500 year. He kept three coal
yards-that is his sons did, but his name was used ms
did not interfere with his official duties The schedule OF
fees was authorized by the Board Of Weigler' y IT,
JAYNE treasury agent told him that he had rghtto
take them Mr.. Knox was discharged ior excessive
drinking.
A. G.. r. Brown. an assistant weigher under "elgher
Thorpe said he had been assistant wesher for thTe)
ar fr years and with Nh Thorpe Fix or seven months
He never saw Nr. Thorpe the decks where the vega
ing was dune ard Mr. Thorpe merely signed the "etAy
payroll and the returns Of weights NJ Thorpe came 70
tTc ilirs 10 sign thcs,. He did nos thnk Nr Ihope
re,y him bv signt There weie iyt Oi slN apJitis W.
gang where only four were netded tie knew MIl tnsty
" lrr, made . practice o. taking Government Weighs,
1 -, AZ f1t-uiSLiug the weights Tor tHe Government
wciguers Fees always collected RON mtI,.A'ls
and shipowners who wanted q co7y oi tue return OF
,ibfs Tbc masters Of vessels paid from > % 7lOto
the wegher Tor copy of te returns iiO'e aa5s1-..
Wciglcrs who worked with the city weishe, anl we're
given the best districts. IL took n1uehcc 10 Sel tO
district The responsibility dcFOlEed On NE ASSN.
,"ciohcr WHO handled the tcam. IL had known hogs
heads OF sugar weigh 90 pounds les by the soN'n
IL Ecyrolds assistant wcielcr In Ar DfeWs 9i''
tr1rt Brooiyu, testified TIA, TIE payroll was 'iset IA
nc; m rlcg.ilr Mr. prev generally a h's oic'
in tae morning, and occIsiondii{ ihtr t"VoI M 5,
oi c.ed ont tbe weights which 'hr city wcl-hti tooh'
lie understood that the city "cieE,f .iu -. lo'r'l
half the expense ~ the Go'cfhIoht -'"E VI - ,.
r A was generally understood tIat Ices were piu LOT
COMICS OF TIC returns. Much IaVoTiti5h was co"i IA
nstisnug TIE ass slant woieheis 10 thtH worn ANo
labor l.st could be reduced one-lhird ,-, g., ,...,
assistant W,ghcr BINOy Of John j. O'Briens district
benuyol mt looking old man ,.ilH ne w, , 55 ~, , ~
y,tl Ne gler Eacaie before ne was assigned 10 HI.
,'lrai'S district Wuele he hll p"tll h-' We n''
.t.n weeks he did not sc NJ. Obu,i MAo okt -
li,, fol tic first time Thursday. hr. O'bncn Aat
orr clerk. aud two jauitoTs who cane Lte "'hi "y
early and reHd TIE n+WsrantIs. i'9 l.L N,,,1r' -
cir and fr mon 1T tie scales, wa Do tri Wt.t tIui-u
Wien Iewls with Nj Biackle DE saw ann ou3 '"'c' IN
seven montns and never 81" hhh OF ~ tDt ,o, Uo ii
NJ OI;rieu', foreman had an assistant VINO ID 'uh uer
-, r,l-t az Dis work o. an .t.cr nan. lu.it "tio
aborrr3 who said tnny were paLtG'hI 'nl We '-to &
t , l,.n ly tie party. MOI 20 ". TX. II 49,. 'Ns ",
tri., II y,1s ibe mylriaDlr custom 10 idhc i"' 'l-t
weight marks rtau classes oi Stod. ana ''' ia
,yin,t, Iyr thought the Wcl-u'r the iOft i"- ~. i
aut foreman unnecessary o!l'hi,N'S To ''' ''7A
eS tyl',, l.t Wslsr Washburn said lie had been c!ts
r,nrtIs i'm Nj OpUeu's district, but nad hot seen '
O'Br,n ouce week. Formerly, seven OF i." q, ti
lgharaTs came 10 the office once NecA in't'S i-i
Ibr rly-rol. never doing any ""iA. II h." "o i b
i.lit men m gang where ohy iuu WIZ i,I ,rI
n Yer saw the ..ead clerk take pth IN Ms rr,
,rvrlt g.. came 10 the Office only once week. i4vs
gar also chief CLERK and Two assi'taul- ''i " ~,
rpr, came nj . or 10 and wcit away at H. rory nth
r,,id a., tbe work of the 80 on the ron i' '",''
rniitiriu all MI BXby haI Slid anou' ,,r
cr,,tl, tLrsr civ We.heIs came o ma c.,i7 ",,
oc.t9 H. pri, to naU,ilc the scales; they pJDaDy
~ ~ fti brrefour,hs o. IN, cargo; the forum lCli
the witness that Mr. O'Bllch.o It teuu' ",i'"7 "
mn y.pvhcr, were first % be tAAe tdl' b, qI ia
'''t tta ~ Gihsou Assistant Appraiser OF tha 4Li
Division testified that De hal been S,aA @ L1 I'M tns
ssircn Tc was 20 years OF age 10 h'' D''. p, 81, -
III fI,s 5i,sion appraised silk, ann SIS o ',
ron gnols Tlrce ont ~ ms ,ou. ,,,, 80 ,,,intrI
internally in tie trade and the touttn W i,.f.rt
Ui,iariy i,l m .orvirr r1les Ills meu were cunl ~
lie could not say if there was muc SIN itt Tulsrys
the port. but he believed there was W. voul ..li1m
uaton AT Tins time Merchant tppino.. ,,,,. iLe -
ON apurll sustain an advance Oi Eaiucs u'
yer cent penalty but ho woud not say va, l yr tae
present rarifi produced bad Elects.
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.tc,p M,NUFACTURERs, AND THE REVENUE.