New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-07-10


of sailing day. One of the huge vessels which
cleared from this port for Liverpool last week re-
ceived ninety casks of copper worth $1G,S75
G75 bales of calicoes, worth SOS, $50. and goods
sufficient to make total of $S1 900 in value, after
the ship had taken out her clearance papers at the
Custom House, and was officially, al ready TO de-
part Her clearance manifest showed cargo OF
only about $4,000, while after she was cleared at
the Custom House she took on about 900 worth
more of merchandise There was still more re-
markabe case the same week. \ steamer which had
filed her clearance manifest showing n cargo
of only about b63 900 worth of goods took on
$4,000 worth after that, including Slo'OOO'
worth of cotton CLOTH and sailed with the same for
Liverpool. Another, which applied for clearance
the day before sailing and fled manifest showing
only about 100000 of cargo took on ABOUT
SI9J. 900 worth more after the filing of the papers
and sailed with the whole $4,000 OF merchan-
disc II the Government had had no other record
of the exports of this port for the last ten days by
steamship than that supplied by the original clear
auce manIfess of the vessels the trade Would nave
been reported about oue-half smaller than it really
was
There is something peculiarly American about
this way OF leaving things to the last moment, AMI
then striving to do them up with rush. or course
II is all right provided that no harm comes OF 1t, but
harm so,netimes does come of il. IL the of the
incident FIST cited the tired business man lost
his Summer in Europe, and IN the case 81 tho
large steamers and their valuable cargoes the
Government is apt 10 lose the record OF
large percentage Of the exports OF
the country. la fact, the Government has been
losing and does still lose the record oi n part Of
the export trade. The goods shipped abroad from
large steamer ports aggregate much more than
ever appears in the annual reports of the Govern
ment. A. we have SEEM fully half the cargo OF a
steamer in value is sometimes received az the
wharf after the vessel is officially cleared at tn"
Custom House. There is no penalty imposed by
thelaw for the failure Of steamship company TO
make full and accurate report OF the cargo on Que
of its ships at the time of saiIiue and so
great is the capital invested IN ship
and It's carco so enormous the inter
est involved in It's prompt saing-oftentimes
amlIion of doliars-that when the time for starring
comes The SHIP must depart, whether the character
Of its cargo IS fully known at the Custom House or
NOT. Asa matter of fact it does depart. There is
nothing except the goodwill OF the companies 10 in
sure a full report of the cargoes. Owing TO the
confusion and hurry Of sailing days, it is
believed at the Custom House here that for the last
fifteen years. large percentage OitIe exports OF our
great ports has ne yer been recorded at all. How
large the percentage has been it Is hard to estimate
1t may have been 10 per cent IL may possibly
nave been 20 per cent It has been large enough
TO make il matter of concern that the record has
not been more accurate. The danger Of the lack Of
fitness and accuracy is always the weak point Of
statistics.
Probably no change can he effected in the current
WAYS of doing business. Business men are accom-
modated by the steamers taking goods up 10 tho
time of sailing, and no company can be expected to
turn away valuable freight simply because it IS
offered late But II change can be made in the
methods of obtaining a record of the character and
value OF the cargoes. The plan of inviting the COM
panies to file a supplemental clearance manifest has
been suggested by Mr.. Sanford, the Old chief Of
the Export Statistics Of the New-HOrk Custom
House, and has been adopted. with the hearty sane
lion of General Merritt, who is on the alert tor
improving the methods of the Custom House, and
who has already introduced many important re-
forms, originating with himself This system has
been put into operation here, and Is being at
tended with excellent results. The companies are
cooperating with commendable goodwill and 1t is
stated that now, for the first time In fifteen years,
something like perfect record OF the huge
volumes Of the exports az New-York is being OBJ
tanned. 1t may be that there Is something IN this
idea of supplemental manlfests worthy of attention
elsewhere.