The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-09-19
CUSTOM-HOUSE NOTES.
THE COMMISSION REPORT AND THE
SWEEPING REDUCTIONS.
A Complete Resume Of the Reductions
and a "Kick" from the Assistant
JanitOrs.

Complete Resume Of the Reductions
and a "Kick. from the Assistant
JanitOfs.
Collector King yesterday received from wash
ngton, in pamphlet form. the report of the
New Orleans Custom-House Commission, pub
shed weeks ago by the DEMOCRAT. from which
u s seen that prior TO the Commissions organiza-
ton the pay rolls OF the customs department
showed in all 227 men employed at salaries
amounting In the aggregate to tS62,s45, and the
reductions
In MEN AND SALARIES
proposed by the commission and ordered by the
Secretary of the Treasury reduced the force to
167 men, whose annual salaries footed up s1S4 Ss5.
In the collectors Office proper, twelve persons
employed. received s22, 400; the reduction making
II but seven lot s1e,590. naval office reduced
from nine men at si4. $40 to six men at 10000;
surveyors office Ave men at s6240 to three men
at 5000, this not including salary of surveyor or
naval officer, az they are paid by fees and do not
receive stipulated salary. The cashiers office
reduced from three men at $4,000 to two at $4,000.
Entry of merchandise from six men at ss7OO to
four at $500. Bond clerks from two at $4,000 to
one at $1,000. Auditors Office from sixteen at
cal, 800 to ten at si4 GAO. Appraisers office from,
twenty-seven at s3s,500 to nineteen at t24, $50.
Weighers and gaugers from eighteen at ST.. 100
to fourteen at tl4,100. storekeepers from twenty
at s2O,720 to twelve at s13, 4sO. Inspectors from
eighty-four at s7e0s5 to sixty-seven at s5s, las.
MISCELLANEOUS EMPLOYEES,
from eighteen at si4,060 to fifteen at $1,000.
In the ''miscellapeous'' list was included one
janitor six assistant janitors, whose combined
AL nj IN fHn rnt,;.a
commencing q decrease OF their salaries from
s4Ou TO $500 each, and increasing the number to
eight assistants, and upon that the assistants
have addressed petition
TO COLLECTOR KING,
in which they say they ''do most earnestly aud
respectfully aek for al increase OF our pay, az IL
ia almost impossible for us to maintain ourselves
and families upon the present email salary Of
twenty-five dollars month";" They add:
"We honestly believe that the labor performed
by us is equal to that performed by any other
class Of laborers in your department.. We also
see by the last "Register' of the Treasury De-
partment the assistant jsnitors at the port OF
Chicago received s720 per annum. at Buffalo,
500: at Philadelphia, s72o; at Richmond, $40;
at Mobile, 5000; at Louisville, 5000. at Detroit,
$780,; at Cleveland. s72o; at Providence, $40; at
La Crosse. 5000. The condition in which we
have kept the frat, second and third floors of the
building since our appointment warrants us In
the belief that our petitions will be favorably
considered by you. For which we humbly pray,
ETC."
In looking over The vast reduction made by the
commission, which s twenty-five per cent in the
working force, the Collector seems to think, and
very properly. too, that it lie too large and that
business will
BE INT ERFERED WITH
by the sweeping reductions as soon as the busy
season commences, which will be within two
weeks.
The Collector is of the opinion that bis own
recommendation for fifteen per cent reduction
was amply sufficient, and would not have serious
ly interfered with business even at the busiest
season.