The New York herald., 1877-09-01
CUSTOM HOUSE MATTERS.

FIFrEEN MORE EMPLOYEES DISCHARGED IRON
THE SURVEYING DEpARTMENr-sILK SNUG
CLING.
Surveyors Department is over. Under the orders OF
the Secretary of the Treasury the services OF twenty.
two moro officials had to DO dispensed with, and late
yesterday afternoon Collector Arthur compelled
TO perform the mournfu task OF giving these people
thcir notice Of removal The action OF The Secretary
was based altogether on the Recommendation OF tho
Jay Commission, notwithstanding the oldest and
ablest employees OF tho Custom House informed Mr.
Sherman that the service would be crippled by such
vast reductions. However, the Treasury Department
insisted upon carrying out required curailment
proposed by the commission, and thus the
ranks OF the unemployed are sweed by their action.
The order required the decapitation OF fourteen day
inspectors nvs inspectresscs and three Eight watch
men. There being seven vacancies Collector Arthur
removed only fifteen. The removals fall hardest upon
the unfortunate ladies, who mostly widows OF
soldiers having families dependent upon them for sup
port
Captain Brackett has unearthed moro silk smuggling,
which formed another link the cham OF the extensive
contraband operations carried on by u powerful risg
OF experts appears That fifteen cases, supposed 10
contain Silks have been lying in the United States
bonded warehouse, corner Of Leroy and Washing
ION strcets, Ior bom0 tlmc, tho urst n"'ioB
reached there on February OF tins syear.
These packages have been brought 10 mis-
port by the steamship England at stated
periods. The marks them are l. Il, +, g, q and
ca. These shipped in England ito order"
ana entered upon the ships manifest as SO many
cases OF merchandise From some parties Connected
with the Smuggling Ring II leaked out that the
original contents oil the boxes were Ponson SIX, put
aboard In good condition. On the voyage the pack
ages were changed and dummies containing oatmeal
substituted ON their arrival here the originals were
surrepltously taken away from the dock ana INC
substitutes carted TO tho bonded warehouses. Es-
tinating tho value OF the silk on the basis OF the
regular importations, case, which Is supposed 70
contain eight pieces o loo yards cach ut 81 per yard
would make the total OF this one operation loot
ny nearly So 000 which there Is duty OF sixty
per cent or $4,000
1t is reported in govern circles that Scott tho
alleged chicI oil the silk gers has returned from
Canada, and, having been seen great deal IN captain
BYackcit's company, II Is surtnised that he Is tue
party from whom the . ew OF the nlteen bonded
dummies has been obtained Otherwise the
fraud would not have been found out until year
honcc, when aI goous remaining IN store uncaed tor
are sold at auction. About seven years ago, when
Captain Bracket was Custom House Inspector,
similar case found out by him. number OF
packages had been warehousod like tho above, the
abstraced and stones put in thor stead Tho
guilty parties werc arrested, but tho goods having
been restored, further proceedings stopped. In
this instance Special Agent Brackett Is also on the
track of perpetrators and confidently expects 70
upprehend them.
Supervising Special Agent A. X. ringc and Special
Agent General M. Curtis, OF Washington, have beon
this city Tor some days investigating alleged cxen-
sugar frauds which said to be perpetraed by
artificial cooring 80 AS 10 admit the sugar Al lower
duty owing It's low standard.