The New York herald., 1878-09-12
CUSTOM HOUSE INQUIRY.


COMMITTEE OF WAYS AND MEANs-A scHED-
ULE OF GRIEVANCES.
The subcommittee OF the Committee OF Ways and
Means, in the person OF Mr.. Fernando Wood, met
yesterday morning in the Comptroer's onice. Con-
eral Banks and Judge Phelps wore both expected to
be present, but neither put appearance. AS the
committee represe uting the Chamber OF Commerce,
consisting OF Jackson 8. Schultz and Mr. Robbins, OF
McKesson & Robbins, accompanied by their counsel,
Mr.. Sherburne B. Eaton, and Mr. henry b. Hyde, tho
counsel for the Board Of Trade of Boston. were
present. Mr.. Wood decided to hear them.
Mr. Eaten, on behalf OF the Chamber or orCommerce,
submitted the following points for the consideration
Of tho committee In all OF which, he said reform was
needed:-
l. The abolition of trplicate invoices and consular
Goods procured otherwise than purchase should be
Duties on purchased goods should always DO assessed
T. Oaths entries made before notaries and
s. The government retain in its discretion the whole
any part Of an invoice for not more than ten days
the goods . once the Value Of the goods - "
g. The equalization Of appraisements at the different
los. while Ia bonded warehouses;.
IL, Tho abolition of allowances.
IL. The payment OF duties in certified gold checks.
10. Completion Of liquidation OF entry within thirty
a. The abolition Of petty fees. including fees for per-
Us LET shs.s BE- .ds,.lons United state. Judge in
on
II are en-
m s e the sss g Ss
ELABoaArros OF THE POINTS.
In bio srgumens Mr. Eaton said that on the first
point the Chamber OF commorce wanted the law
changed back to what It was beforo 1s63 riphcate
invoices were useless. Tho merchants now propose
to say TO tho government, "Hore are tho goods and
here Is tho invoice; now mako up your duty" In
regard to the second and third points, he said IL
great hardship 20 merchants to be required TO In
voice their goods at the market value tho time OF
production II the market goes up the importer has
70 pay the Increased duties, but IL it goes down he
pays the market value at the tnae OF shipment This
he sa,d, was sided. Whio some merchants favor
tho abolition OF tho oaths altogether what the Cham
Der Of Commerce was asking was matter OF con.
venienoe only, SO that merchants would not be re-
quired to wait at tho Custom House during
tho busy hours Of the day IN order to tako
the oaths before the Collector The bonding
reapprased goods he believed 10 bc erinenty Just
both tho importer and tho government but the
great that the latter had no remedy against arbitrary
decisions. rhe same class oi goods wcrc differently
appraised at different ports and this evil was SO great
that it should be amended by statutory Law. IL Is
unjust to honest merchants that there should bo
discrimination IN one port as against another On
the ninth point Mr.. Eaton said hc thought It very
Unfair that merchants should be compelled 10 pay
duties goods stolen from the warehouses on ac-
count of the carelessness OF the storoxeepers He
thought business would be facilitated by the use OF
certified gold checks instead OF coin, and urged the
stamps which could bo affixed 10 the invoices In
regard the fifth point Mr. Eaton argued at length,
saying that al the present time any case against the
,antxv kal N NM IN n
merchant could afford 10 sparc II he succeeds he
pay ai his own COSTS and II he fails he has TO
pay both. An additional court was a necessity.
ARGUMENT HYDE.
Mr. Henry b. Hyde, counsel OF tho Boston Board OF
customs laws wore establish wnen the Union COM
prised only the thttoen original States and IT was no
t"at time IL would take TOO mucn time to detail oil
the Objectionable points oil those cumbersome stat
utes, but II was plain commerce IS mpeded by ,hem
In customs matters the simple process Of interchung
ing merchandise between two or moro countries be-
comes SO complicated by government regulations as
TO make II almost impossible Tor the merchant 70
know II he pays the duties correctly not An entry
he thought, should bo mere statement Of goods in
ported and the Of duties to be paid Tho value
OF be determined a the port OF entry by
tho existing the time OF importation, and whom
the duties paid the goods should bc promptly de-
Iivcrod Consular certificates he regarded useless,
because the telegraph outstrps them. IL was inpos
sibIe 70 determine the exact value oil many goods
made say In India China, and the consular ccrth
oatc would have no vslus In The city OF New York.
staples should be regulated by tho home values Mr.
Hyde then spoke OF the hardshps aud delays which
attend tho delivery Of goods The merchant has TO
travel from desk to desk before he pny the duties
owing to the dupcatou OF accounts In the collectors
and naval Offices He thought the verincaion should
be made after liquidation. II goods wanted with
despatch, beIore the exact amount oil duties Gun Do
computed, tho merchant should be required to give u
bond for the payment 0i duties undsrchargcd; but
when the goods have The hands oil the govern
ment n sufficient length of time TO ascertain The
proper ratio Of duty they should DO delivered without
= bond.
VIEWS or JACKSON g. SCHULTZ.
Mr.. Jackson y Schultz next gave his viows 10 she
committee. Merchandise coming into New York, no
sa,d, comes consigned TO the Collector, The vessel,
the cargo aud passengers arc nus Tho Collectors
power being SO absolute he be held responsible.
Mr. schultz then complained OF omissions In tho just
exercise OF that control by the Collectors subord
mates, aud suggested that the committee send Tor the
agents oil the steamship lines TO ascertain whether
they have suffered by the detention Of their vessels
through the action OF tho detectives No ship has
over yet boon confscatcd, but ship owners are ire
quenuy threatened and very much annoyed. In The
customs servlcc they rying 10 establish the prn
s'pio that owners are responsible Tor their subord
mates Ho wanted tho same principle applied TO tho
Collector. Mr. Schultz very the nd
ministration OF tho Custom House. and especially
the Naval Ohicc lie doridcd tho force OF
clerks who are regarded as entry c'erks-tbcre
Is no such thing in cur system as The entry
used 10 correct the mistakes Of tho entry clerks
These do not pretend TO be right ana tho Naval Officer
only adds to their mistakes Tho hqudators nnd tnat
tho errors Ave To one originate In tho Naval once
But Mr. schultz SAID he wanted to magnify tho oinco
oil Appraiser He thought tho nnal adjustmcn should
be 10 that ohce and that tho Appraiser should have
an auditing bureau. The employ cd for this ser
wee should bc superior mcn--thcy should understand
French and German In regard TO the bonding system
he said he proposed to Abolish the bonds altogether
then the Custom House brokers will lind thor occupa
tion gene. Owing to delays he sara that a merchant
who follows Tho rules ot the Custom House and waits
Tor liquidaton TO settle with his consignces will oso
his trade Mr.. Schuliz thought the Inspectors were
Not properly paid and are not NJ for their duties fhcy
arc not experts Ia the articles they are required to
JUDGE aud he laughingly told anecdoto OF clergy
man In the employ OF the Custom House who
didnt know grease when he II. Ho sug
gested the increase Of the number threcioid In
the matter Of sugar Mr. Schultz sad, by way Of
exposing the abuses IN the customs service, "We are
trusting man at 50 per day 10 adjust the value OF
cargoes In which there may 10 differences Of rom
$4,000 70 $4,000 IN the matter OF grades. III tne
charges that made this regard are true " Is
time VIC had some change In the law" He favored
the establishment Of court OF arbinauon, 70 oo
composed Of member from o,cn ot the three cities
New YORK, Boston aud Phiiadcipna MorcnahIs
would bs grateful for court which they could reacn