New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-02-06
CUSTOM HOUSE REFORM.
NEW REGULATIONS.
CHICAGO's COMPLAINT OF NEw-YORK-A STATEMENT
BY THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT.
lBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNg.I


lBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUsE.I
WASHINGTON, Feb. 5.-Mr. William Henry Smith.
the Collector of the Port of Chicago, has recently
been in Washington to bring to the attention OF the
Treasury Department the necessity of adopting new
| regulations to compel the New-YOrk Custom House
| to comply more thoroughly with the law. and to
make it more difficult. If not impossible, Tor collu-
sion to exist between New-York importers and Gus
| tom House officials. Western merchants complain
that favoritism has been shown to New-lork Inn
porters which has made it impossible for them 10
compete with Eastern merchants and has made IL
absolutely necessary for them to buy thelr
| foreign goods in New-York instead OF importing
them on their own account. Absolute enforcement
of the law in NewYork, they say, is tine only source
of safety to the Western importer. New regulations
to accomplish this purpose have just been prepare"
at the Treasury Department, and will soon be pro-
mulgatcd.
Appropriate to this subject. the following state
ment of what has been accomplished under Secre-
tarv Sherman's administration in the way OF Gus
tom House reform, has been prepared by treasury
officials. and is furnished for publication:
The Secretary of the Treasury has been q9iety en,
gagfd ior sometime III relorI'n ,o ,nt sTamnatfon
business This has required much pa'lent MI
of details and will result in great improvements 1o1
issoners appointed TO examine the Custom Houses at
the large ports have been or Will be ad4pten: ne
reforms already accomplished under the uHecuon Vi VIZ
Frsaeductiou Of expenses collecting the revenue
20 amount OF about 5000 o0o 10 aGeopiisn s' to
reoued great mness, ali reductions bsing fesis'eu W
greater less extent by the Cnst olces ,,o, tbo
Second Extending the hours OF business SO that ho
Custom Houses required to be Kept open ron r
O'Clock unu 4. In New,ioi6 the hours h"u oeen i'0
ihyd"Prcscrbing a uniform for the officers OF Gus
ons VINO nerform ou side duly This has not yet been
mi INTO operation, but Will be very soO., ana IS eA-
ected to result III great Improvement III ne @ M
| OF the service The uniforms nave already pceh St.
| locted. ..o ..,o, y, common
Iol-Povilug sys,ematic method OF eo nips,n
vessels az night This was formerly snl GU 0 k'ea,
abuse. II the practice ~ ne I2r % ~, % no
The customs officers assigned 90 tHe uuiS % VI Ia, go
a steamship 10 exact rom me colsighess VIVA, ,S S,'
called Louise money The amount var! llI nom 30 ~
800 for each vessel unladeu' uhIci t"' 10
aulslcd the con guccs OF vessel arc required 10 ue
post the OF $40 for eaca NIGHTS s,tEoo C , 'ic
an officer and tlis amount Is pau 10 nm y; ,h and
lecior part Of lis regular compensation 81 'o 'n'
Fijh~Siencilliug of packages of merchandise upon
which DAMAGE allowance IL maze. Great ABUSES -tto
existed in past years with respect to the allowance mate
Tor damages on Imported goods some years ago. as
rlerr mon ,Acess.yc allowance, the customs officers
damage allowance was made the word - Damaged.
ThIs iract!cc objected 10 DY some ol tle
because they were unable to sen ilef g2oUs 30 Hcu
Tor the Price OF sound goods, and GlIh Great p,o
sure brou-bt 40 bear upon tAe IitasuIy ~ mo
US abaun0ued subsequent eNpc1tncc mas proved lhc
wisdom 81 sneh an OrIei, anu 81 i sim ms means
# detsIon examiners Inclined 10 hc dishonest VIII nol
rcluIp and marx goods damaged tlat are hot ac'u"!
HIn~An .nportant change IN the method OF sanp-
Ing class fyIng and wegnlng SIT. ais Inc new oiuc.
10y TIE Secretary wln reference 10 IN ap5
ana Wrie.ing Ol sugar requires thHt tho s'nPHn-
snail be done uu0tT lo personal SptNson VI tc ~
aminer WAC sn; hiiuse!i draw Samples lIoui clc c1 1
On 49,, ~ - he'd RESPONSIBLE fOr pUirry salhiLng tEe
,,cLa 40 one sample is allowed 10 Dc continued dt
any Ir ticular wharf dock, nor % be ehsJGeu upon
fnS r.trc0es OF any one fHI longer than Two weeks
at a time and the samples are I'q,,lo" W ~ po
passed upon by at least Two eNperts III the
Appraisers oies and Where hy Gsa ,ee @s 20 fne me
gass bottles labelled wth name OF hnGr' en- ia. OF
poliaon name OF The vessel, cass'h'avi anu the
names o TIE sampler ana eNaiiho " nJ 80 tbo
"1t umg sicn san PIES 10 be puDciy cNAiDItcd ~ Tue
Csiin House q. lo;,et one week altcf lnt pIemuiS
examination is laor 50 that al in IA s co ~
incaiion is made by the appIasers. .,.. , Nv
\ rsn1r-4uc WtghcTs Gisucts At inc EOr. 81 Nv
YnrK baye Lctn IeOJced from 1917 ana st "Iignes'
~ eari. o > 900 each, Win thcli lOitn' anu ccihs,
have been al ,t sed WIZ lbc IaDOr Oi n'"dit pun
ares IN Weighing is now performed ny SoCt, ana Tue
bIrin~ nj iDalprs Dy Wtlghtls IL no LONGER necessary.
MS vas n source OF great abuse ana nueh necessary
expense to te Government. II Is esiiIttu trt , ~
Is 100000 pr aInuEl VIII De sa' ca az thC PO4t VI
%"w-YoIk by the change Of tge method oi we sllS
NY. nom 80 % IL 80 Is PER 100 POUNDS Ills VIII
save a large sum to ;ne Treasury. 49,. ,. ,,o,
In ORDER 10 prevent collusion between brokers
and torisls aud the Custom House entry CLERKS, ana
in order 10 put ali importers on an equ"hy 40 40 'h
s in wncn cut.ics to be passed, new sys,ol 0i
raising cntncs has been adopted iof inc NeM- OH
tu.toIn HOUSE, whi" wil 20 INTO ehcot on 'he lon Va
Garca COLLECTOR Arthur having ISSUED Tue KNOWING
rr ursau Instructions rOAi the secretary vi tAe
Al entries shall he loaged with clerk, whose
duty il SHAH number and register tEei ana as
tribute them oquy among lie Guy cic'AS i~i oAhi-
nation and computation ~ estimate H1teS. 40 eiitl3
n'cr vii be allowed pass haDiiuilly the entities pre-
.,ut.d bV any one broker or firm. ~, :,
cod Entries If beri,h@Ulc fruit ana specie Will t"he
precedenc. OF al others 1900 :. ...,
"3, An entlies and oa.4s The cto must be signed,
ana al special bonds, such as D"u"s Tor oathT m
es ma ce tied inN Oicts, must pc duiy executed DC
fore nre,cutaton Of tue entry. Inc penal sum q tue
houd 10 be fixed by the bond clrr6
..ft In nlI cases where special authority from The
bo,d nf me entry dvlsiOu required on tny sued a-
th0uty must bo Optilneo "eloi' Fio'0"'" " Wv
entry al t.c enuy desk.
"5.t All the entries returned To the importers Tor cor
re,tinn viii afterwards treated newly presented
aud viii be- rrEuuoercd and rcdstTibucd "ctOfdliSlJ
..G,b An entries presented after 800 y H., II Onhd
ccr,prt via, DO phsscd By 10 =. thc following d"9
-ih AL entries, whether passed correctly Orfeturch
for ection VIII returned 20 the Importer OF NE
,et m the receiving cicrh Uny ana ali comm uiltii"
ngtwe.i he clerks winnie on duty, aLd me Importers
| tlrlr brokers, or agents Is hereby prohibited"