The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-05-03
CUSTOM HOUSE INVESTIGATION.

TIE AUDITOR AND HIS ASSISTANT RxcoMMEND
4 REDUCTION OF FoRcE-coLLEcroR ARTHUR
ON THE GENERAL oRDER System.
Secretary shermans Commissioners. appointed 10
Investigate tho system Of soeesng dusss = the Gus
som House ard AS personnel held anpSAsT qeeeon yes
terday In Naval Officer corneIrs once, MI Jay. the
chairman, presiding Prior 10 going into The nvesti-
cation OF the Custom House affairs the Commission
held protracted private interview EN- Nsssrs jock
son 8. schultz. Thomas Barbour. Daniel q Robbins.
and their COUNCIL s. B.; Eaton, vhs appeared - COM
mttee representing the Chamber Of Commerce. About
an hour subsequently the doors were opened and the
members Of the Press admitted The nrss tsing done
was the reading Of the following stssrlby Mra Jay.
which, he SAID, he had received from Deputy Ap-
praiser Bausch, who had boen examined on Tues
days ,
APPRAISERS OFFICE, PoRr OF Nrw yosK.
To the Honorable Commission Investigating Affairs tho
New York Custom House
yesterday in my stated ha. the a%oSn, Of
snes EsS i a nS pa 70 s ap
the tact.
furnishing porsion Of the labor Tor this department
p TO Mr. french ht sss al:
Mr. Robinson, Assistant solicitor OF tho Treasury, and
OF tho Commission, having received Geographic In
sructons from the Secretary, announced his intention
hereafter 10 administer oath 10 each witness before
tcstiiying, persuant TO section 1853 Of the Revised
Statutes.
MR. oGDEx's REcoxxExDArioxs.
Mr.. Samuel Ogden, the Auditor, was then called.
Being an invalid, his testimony was almost inaud'bie
The gst OF his evidence 10 tho fact that II he could
have the right kind OF the present force OF the
Custom House might be reduced twenty per cent Tho
Naval ONCE should be abolished. but u might entail
some difficulties at arst and IN lieu thereof make tue
Auditor Independents OF the Collector, which would DO
the proper check on him lie was in favor Of a civil
code aud OF Office. Ninety
n,no were employed IN MS DIVISION, OF whom about
paring statistics, Rht DO dispensed with The system
IN vogue In his oilce could not IN his opinion,
Jour- He does not know OF any gratu,tes paid 10 any
OF his clerks Tor lawyers Others The functions or
tho Auditor are to dlsbursc moneys and account Tor
the same. None OF his accounts have ever beon re-
turned from the department incorrect Contributions
for political purposes are usually made voluntarily
Mono OF the employees Of the AUDITORS department.
mold any sinecures they have 10 work hard regu
larry. Mr. Ogden recommended the abolition OF the
fees upon documents, winch now amounted 10 over
$500, 900 per annum, and instead add them duties
This system causes great trouble, loss OF time aud
voxation importers In order TO get ..chcck" on
IN entry persons have to walk around a number OF
departments and then come back 10 tho Cashiers
Office TO pay q twenty cont Zoe. rNf a
A REDUCTION PER CENT SUGGESTED.
Mr.. Samuei j. jacobs, Assistant Auditor was next
sworn. He dcposcd that he bad been this office for
affairs OF his department In his opinion per cent
Of the employees might DO dispensed with. His Office
hours from hallpast eight A. NJ. to five p. NJ The
personnel Is good, but the salaries low. Does
not knowol any gratuitics being received by any OF
system Q! Paying the twenty,ccnt tees, which amount
to about $25, 900 month. There Is no check this
payment and tho collection and accounting thereof
must be trusted entirely 10 the honesty of the casher
TnE GENERAL ORDER SYSTEM.
recess was here taken and messengers sent after
a number OF representatives of steamship companies
On reassembiing tho following named gentlemen pre-
scented themsslve.:mMr 3; J. corus. Of tho White
Guion's line; Mr.. Radcliffe, OF the State line; Mr.
Schwab, OF tho North German Lloyd; Mr.. Mayer, OF
The Hamburg line; Mr.. Allen, Cunard line; Mr. De
IN tlanf IN m n IA
Atlas line These gentlemen wcre all present At tho
examination OF Collector Arthur, aud ventilated their
10 remain the dock for oryeight hours instead Of
sending them to general order warehouses Immediately
General Arthur said, "As soon vessel is entered
an order Ia issued for the goods TO go into general
orders. Tho regulations give authority TO the Col
lectcr, At his option TO allow the same 10 remain on
the dock"
psonARGISG VESSELS AFTER DARK.
General Arthur explained the system Of allowing
vessels to discharge alter sunset.
Question by Mr.. Jay to General Arthur-what would
be the legal fees inspectors others watching
goods and seeing that hoy do not go into general or
ders?
that subject There regulation allowing vessels TO
discharge at night, for which the steamship CON-
panes give general bond az security Tor the goods IN
case Of loss. II any steamship company suffers from
having goods unduly hurried from the dock, by
planning to the Collector the inspectors arc severely
representativ OF one OF the steamer lines here re-
marked to the Commission that whenever any COM
plant was made TO the Collector by them relief was at
once accorded.
The Collector continued. when inspectors work
alter sunset the extra compensation therefor Is fixed
by the Surveyor and himself"
Mr. Turnurc asked General Sharpe who was present,
whether the inspectors were allowed BY law to receive
extra pay tor night work, which answered In the
Affirmative The former replied that he differed do
cidedly with the Surveyor, inasmuch the law re-
CURES the money to be paid by the steamship compa-
MES to the Collector and by him TO tho Inspector.
THIS closed the examination for tho day, but before
adjourning II was agreed between tho Collector
IN
each vessel and the extra labor OF inspectors
the Collectors Office direct