The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-08-22
PRICE, FIVE CENTS.


ing as the other ports mentioned in section 2997,
Revised Statutes. This would require legislation
In their opinion, q change in the law in this re-
spect would greatly facilitate trade with Mexico
from this point; and they do not see how the in-
terests of the government could be ieopardizsd
il the change were made.
CONSULAR INVOICES AND CERTIFICATES.
Merchants complain Of the exacton from them
OF fee for bond in cases where, from some
cause other than change in destination of NOR
ehandlse, after the veritica0n of the invoice the
triplicate invoice has not come to hand, as pre-
scribed by paragraph 33l, customs regulations.
They urge that they should not be hold respou-
sible for the neglect OF the United states consul.
A case was brought to the attention of the COM
NJ sson where the vessel, having been eighty
days making the voyage from Marseilles, arrived
| in advance OF the trpheate invoices. aud every
consgnee was, in consequence, required to give
| bond to pay the fee. The commission are i'm.
| pressed vi h the justice OF this complaint, and
suggest that the wrong be remedied either by
enforcing q more prompt transmission Of iu-
voices by the oonsuls, or by remtting the fee for
the execution OF the bond referred to.
Ii is also subject OF complaint that recent
treasury regulation requires the exporter of for
eign merchandise to give bona to produce the
ceruhcat9 OF the foreign revenue officer OF the
| port to which the expectation ia made that the
duties thereon have been paid, or secured tn the
| foreign government. 1t ia claimed that neither
| the American exporter nor the government of the
| H.
yet that the export bond 30 given cannot be can
ceed till this often impossible condition is COM
| piled with. We respectfully recommend that this
regulation should be modified, 80 that, in case
the foreign officer should refuse TO grant such
certificate which, we are informed, has occurred
IN several instances The United States consul, or
Two American merchants where there is no con-
sul, shall certify to such refusal; and such GER
| tifcate, together with the certificate OF the CON-
| signee ss to the landing OF the merchandise shall
be sufficient for the cancellation OF the export
| bond.
| EXCESSIVE sAMPLINa.
Some complaint has been made Of excessive
| sampling in the appraisers store, but the prac-
tce, so far as We can learn, appears to have been
confined to subordinates. The importers, as q
| rule, do not seem to have directed the attention
OF the heads oR departments to the abuse, In
order that it might be corrected, nor do they ap-
pear, with one or two exceptions, to have ever
called on the appraiser for the return Of their
samples, as they had right to do. Apps
rently this has not been done because the i'm
porters feared they might suffer in their future
transactions with the department Ii they at
tempted to remedy their grievances. The COM
mission believe that the complaints made are in
some cases we'll founded, but tho responsibility
cannot be fixed, fom the fact that the appraisers
store packages not sealed after examination,
and the losses may have occurred at the ware
house, after transfer from the appraisers store,
or at the store OF the importer. We recommend
that hereafter all packages opened by the ap-
|
moved from the appraisers custody, and that
the name of the examiner BIS stencilled on the
package. The examiner can then be held re-
sponsible for sDy shortage not noted in the in
voice as having occurred prior to the reception Of
| the package by the appraiser.
AppRAIsEMENT OF MERCHANDISE
| The commission have observed with surprise
that, with exceptions, the valuesas stated in
the invoice has been found by the appraiser TO be
the true value OF the goods imported. The ex-
ceptions invoices OF no great value, and
where the additions have been made by the inn
porters. Yet it is In evidence before the commits
sion that, especially among the merchants, of
Continental Europe, great elasticity OF conscience
prevails with regard to the values placed upon
goods exported. IL is asserted that in some in
stances three sets OF invoices are given-oDe rep
rssenting the actual cash value OF the goods; one
below cost, for the importer to enter by, and one
above cost, for the importer to sell by. 1t is sug-
gested that the Collectors attention be called to
the apparent sympathy existing between the ap.
praiserB and tho importers in this regard.
The commission have to report that unau-
thorized persons have been and are allowed in
the appraisers rooms when examinations Of mer-
chsndise are made, in total disregard OF article
430 of the treasury regulations Of 1874.
We have not discovered any irregularity in the
manner OF doing business in the appraisers de-
partmeDt other than thoee named, nor have any
| serious complaints been made by merchants rela-
tive to the administration OF that office, which is
not surprising under the condition Of things rep
resented above.
CLASSIFICATION OF SUGAR.
The system of sampling and classifying sugars
at this port we believe to be correct; but 1t is
represented by the appraiser having charge OF
this branch that the standard Dutch samples
| supplied by the department are not suitable for
the proper classification Of the West Indian
sugars received at this port, being too gray in
color to admit 0f q fair comparison. IL IL sng-
gested that samples be procured through the
United Btatos Consul at Havana to form the
standard for sugars at this port.
WEIGHING AND aAUarNG.
In the weghers department the commission
have found no cause for complaint. The force
i vas in excess OF what was necessary, and the
commission recommend some change in its Or
ganization in their preliminary report. The
records of the weigher's office are we'll kept; the
instruments are in good order, and that the re-
turns made correct is judged from the fact
that government weigher's returns are made The
basis OF both sales and purchases in preference
to those OF city or private weighers. We have
failed to find an instance In which any member
actually performed, or any indication OF collusion
with the city weighers. In fact, the commission
md much to commend in the general manage
mont Of this branch Of the public service at this
port.
In the gauger's department the incompetency
which tuggested itself was applied, and hls name
was submitted to the Collector for removal.
, ENTRY OF MERCHANDISE.
OF that officer apparent that the onyremedy
The commission have been careful to ascertain
whether merchandise has been permitted to pass
into consumption without the payment Of the
proper duty or before the government was fully
, secured for any duties which might be found to
be due. We found the administration OF the de-
partments Of sentry OF merchandise" and
, ''bonds" to be, with q few exceptions, ez-
. cellent. But at the entry desk it has been the
custom for the entry clerk (scting deputy collec-
tori to not only estimate the duty on the entry,
but to indicate the packages for the appraiser 8
store, and to give all the instructions necessary
for the disposition Of the entire cargo. In addi-
ton to this, the same officer, who is a notary
: public, has made nearly all the Custom House
powers OF attorney executed at this port nany oi
) them during business hours), for which Fee
; ranging from 50 SO TO IS, is charged, and
has attested all the afidavts Of the inspec-
, tors to their accounts, and Mpf importers
whenever an oath was required charging there
for fee OF twenty-five cents. The commission
are OF opinion that this is too much to require
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