The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-08-23
A RED TAPE RESTRICTION.
WHY COLLECTOR PRATT CoI.LARED THE
YACHTS AT NEWPORT.

NB fA
WHY COLLECTOR PRATT coLLARED THE
YACHTS AT NEWPORT.
NxwPoRr, August n, 1878
HERALD corsspondeat called upon Collector
Frederick A. Pratt of this port. to-day. TO inquire
about the recent stringent oraor enforcing yachts to
comply with q certain requirement OF the Treasury
lava This requiremsnt is that every vessel sh AL
bear, in addition to the name upon her stern, tho let
tiers indicating the stats which her haing port il
situated, as IN. Y" for New York, &C. Collector
Pratt surprised the yachtsmen week or Two ago BY
sending peremptory order requiring them TO COM
ply with this part of law un der the penalty Of
seizure Several Of the yachts, though conspicuousy
letered with their Names had label OF this Sort ana
the vEiant eye Of the seaous Coiector bad Instantly
discovered the dereIicts and with extraordinary zeal
he had determined to .'put Thorn through" Anxious
to the torso rigorous and unexpected an
endorsements Of the Law your correspondent made
this visit to Mr. Pratt. being politely received,
asked him why he had found IL necessary TO apply
the law stringeutly. "Last April" said the Cosc-
tor carefully adjusting his tacles and reckessy
tipping back his chair, .swhils was sitting IN my
private Office here, overheard the captain Of
a fishing vessels small steamer belonging
to q fsot which In ownod In Tivsrton-say
that hereafter no should carry the name
Tvsrton' upon the stsrn Of his vessels Instead OF
haiing from NewporI, they are Obliged by law 10
do. / stepped out and asked him about IT. He ex-
planned that the owner Of the fishing steamers had
Obtained tho privilege from the treasury Departmen!
to allow vessels hail from Tiveron instead OF
Newport that had had tho vessels letterod 10
accordance with that permission. Though iiverton
IL ONLY thirteen miles from here, just across tue
arm could see why such permission
should have been granted 50 wrote 70 the Secretary
o. . sns isssuy snsaao 0' haa oesn made IN
tho regulations requiring all vessels TO nail
aud that was required 10 give effect 10 the
principles therein set down. acted upon those IN.
struclions, and wnen the T.verlon steamers came IN
aud saw that tney mad 'riverton' painted upon
sssrns caused them TO be seized and detained
until they complied with the law When the captains
painted out the name 'fiverton' and substituted New
DOE, released thsn." f.s fe Ia
THE LAW APPLIED TO YACHTS $500
C0RREsPoNDESr-Wnst this wnat led you to take &C.
Mr.. PRArT--Yes; wrote 70 Secretary Sherman. IN
Qurins whether tho law applied equaiy OF
the pleasure achts wuich summer He
replied, IN letter dated May ~, saying that every
vessel must comply win ths law, wnesnerA yacht
not So, when the yachts came In, gave
orders to the revenue officers to notify tne that the
Law mus. DO enforced It's noio.ng 10 mo one way
other, only I'm under $4,000 bonds 10 DO NY
ConRssposDsSr-wha do you understand TO be the
Mr. PRArrl suppose It IL that In cases OF collision
the names haitng ports and State may be known ana
CoaHEsroxDxsr--But collisions occur generally At
night wnen would be impossible 70 distinguish the
small inltials indicating the name OIL the State
Mr. PnAr1-Weii, don'tku can't explain the
reason the Law, but presume u 10 largely
count Of collisions That u was made. give that vs.
ConREsroxDssr--what Is tho size required by law
for these isstsrsY
Mr. PRATT Qaking down tho volume OF Customs
Regulations for 1874 and reading from article g. page
35j-ln white testers, not less than three inches IN
length, upoE black ground" t eef
QUESTION OF COLOR.
CoRREsPoNDENr-Upon that description you would
be justified IN sezng every yacht which did not have
II binck aud vhIt yvla m: "
letters?
observe tne reg uatlop in That particular; but
Shouldn't think Il necessary 20 DO thar.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Is tho extent OF the territory
wkhIn your jurisdictoIf
Mr. PRArT--North and south, from Wickfora 10
Block Island, aud east to TIverton-aboat iortyave
CoRnEspoSDxxr-And You intend to strictly enforce
this upon ail yachts coming within your urisdic
Mr. PRArr-Yes; II yachts como here without the
proper lettering upon their storms shall DO obliged TO
make Thorn comply win the law
CoKREsrosDxsr-What did you do about this in pre-
MT PKArr-I only came into office late last year. and
this first time have had an opportunity act
srRAM LAUNCH sxIzuRE.
The correspondent then asked relation to another
which has recently come up under MIR. Pratts
Jurisdiction. A gentleman owning small steam
launch, hardly bigger than row boat, was n0tined
that II dcained by the customs officers IN
queacs tho refusal Of the inspector that district
u
OF the refusal that the boiler nos stamped IN
accordance with the law, As follows:-
s.c.,os plate Of boiler sHn or :sss n made
tnctly permanently stamped by the manufacturer
thereof and IT practicable in plscos that
shall left visible whom ates worked into
boilers, with OF manufacturer, tho place
where manufactured and the number Of pounds tsnse
II will bear the sectonsI square inch and tas
inspectors shall keep record in their Office OF the
upon all boiler plates and boilers which they inspect
4.3e8 -Every vessel propelled in whole or lnDart
by shall be deemed steam vessel within the
ing Of this title. r4A
Tho launch belongs TO yacht owned BY the gentle
question anu 10 ltfsOost. IL - English built
aud provided with English bosier whion does not
bear the marks required BY tho American laws.
ABSURD TRCHEICALrrY
Though perfectly IN every respect and used only
for the private convenience OF her owner, sne
se,zcd aud held upon what admitted TO be a
teennicaity. Collector Pratt justified MS scsars OF
her by the necessity he was under OF exacting every
requirement OF the law. He admitted the apparent
Injustice Of the law but could give no other expiana
ton Il imam that IL was law and tina: he was
PEELED 10 enforce IT, IL the launch were only three
feet long and carried single human being sne would
be Obliged 10 have formal papers as steamboat Of
500 tons. toy boat subject 70 thc law large