The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-28

the present force is sufficient II is easy to say
what number of men Is necessary for the transac-
ton of the clerical and inside business of the
custom House and the examination OF passengers
baggage As to that portion OF the force which Is
should be employed in what may be described as the
preventive service there is room for great difference
OF opinion and the loss resulting from the employ
meat OF too small force cannot become evident
until after years of experience. This port mas
locked water front of about twenty-four miles To
perfectly watch this front at night so as to prevent
only half the necessary force is employed
the consequent but certain loss is not easily
detected Again. the proper carrying out Of the law
as to goods intended for transportation in bond and
for export required many That duty is now.
with the reduced force performed only on paper and
there practically almost protection against frauds
This fact and the necessity of much larger force for
this service Is shown by report made to the Treas
ary 1878. have been unable to obtain copy OF the
report but it is file in the Treasury Department
That the reduction OF the clerical force was carried
by me to the extreme limit is shown by the fact that
when, within fortnight after my suspension, the
Secretary directed special investigation to be made,
the acting Collector wrote the Secretary that after u
careful examination OF the entire force he could not
find any who could be spared for the work required,
and he therefore insisted upon the appointment of
six additional clerks, and such appointments
were made with the approval of the department.
am informed, though have not had time to verify
the report that the force has, since suspension,
been much increased by the appointment of other
subordinates, temporary and permanent and that
the amount paid for salaries under the acting Col
ecors administration during the latter half OF 1873
is considerably larger than paid under my admin
istration during the first half OF the same year. 1t
should be further noted that tho amount OF reduc-
ton in salaries stated by Mr.. Sherman-namely,
$235, oOo-incudes the reductions in the Naval Office
and the Appraisers department over which had no
control. The reduction in the Collectors depart
ment was only $4,000.
CHARGES AGAINST THE wEIGHERs.
Mr. Sherman repeats. in considerable detail the al
legations of the third report of the jay Commission
as to the weighers. and assumes that they were
correct.
He should in common fairness not have omitted to
state that the truth of these charges is vigorously
denied by the weighers in letter TO the Secretary, OF
which a copy is annexed. The weghers lleIed that
the JAY Commission had before 1t no evidence
to sustain their allegations. They called in vain for
of the weighers in detail call your attention
to the following extract relating to OF the allie
cations adopted by Mr.. sherman, as afording good
sample OF the fairness OF the jay Commission. Tho
weighers say
As instance Of the unfair of the commission
appendx M list Of Irregular fees to be charged for
copies q % OF eS sa y Tesss to h"ve 6ss
they that one S Of the OF the the
board Of Weirhers., The commission continue
1T proper oadd in regard to this allegation that GER
that list question had been adopted by the wsghers
Certain Of tho wc!ghers addressed note" Is th. de-
s he by Eem united IN
s To- the
examination TO the truth Of their assertion and that the
part who claim have right sit Judgment
the character Of others anything else ba,
who have little appreciation of what and fair
In my letter to the Secretary, Of November %.
1877, already referred to, wrote:-
There may be unfit in department well in
others and the system may be in some respects defective
and are always Carefully investgaed through the
yeyors Department where the is by
The
their duties performed The nuRber of weighers IS
probably the performance or
their duties during the present period of diminished bust
tCn Of the force which as already stated had IRA
Yourself and the commission omitted from the
reduction recently made pending your action upon tho
1t should be added that after the receipt of the
port of the Jay commission and the letter of the
weghers. Mr.. sherman delayed action for many
months, during which he caused various special ex-
aminations to be made, and himself personally ex-
amined into the subject; and q result, while re-
ducing the number of weighers from thirteen to
seven he expressly retained in the service seven all
OF them those against whom the Jay commission
made the sweeping allegations, he now parades, and
in communicating this decision to me he expressly
stated that they were excusable for any breach of
regulations they had committed.
The Secretary claims that the reforms proposed by
the Jay commission in the weighers and gaugers'
department were carried out by his orders and have
resulted in saving OF over s200.0J0 per annum as
to the amount OF saving the fact is that 1t is the
salary and labor account $10ll40 ~ per annum, as
compared with tho year ending July 30. 1877. and
that apart the saving of $2l 900 by the rcduc-
ton in the number of weighers the entire economy
in salaries is caused by the fact that the government
for very many years, and long prior to the time
when came into Office, paid laborers ut the rate
of forty cents hour but that by the present sys-
TEN the labor obtained by contract for gross sum
per annum. The change to the contract system was
recommended by myself and General Sharpe then
Surveyor, both to the Jay commission and the Secre-
tary. but the commission dsapproved its adoption.
On November IA, 1877, however. myself and the
Surveyor reported in favor of its introduction. and
answered the objection of the jay committee
THE MEREDITH REPORT
Mr.. Sherman introduces some extracts from the
report made by Messrs. Meredith and Others and
relies upon the charges therein contained to justify
my SUSPENSION But was SIS SUSPENDED ON On July ~.
pension had been decided upon considerable
time previously. while the Meredith report. is not
would have been at least prudent if Mr.. Sherman
had paid little attention to these dates
to the reference to the special report OF Messrs
Meredith and others concerning Deputy Collector
Lydecker refer to the answer to these charges made
by Mr.. Lydcckcr in July last, of which copy is
occurrences which took place ten years ago; that
they investigated at the time by the Treasury
Department and Others and shown to be wholly I'M
founded, and that the same conclusion was
arrived at on repeated subsequent investiga-
tions. 1t should be noted that Mr.. Meredith
and Others coming here avowedly with the deter
mination to make case against the New York Gus
tom House, and especially against Mr.. Lydecker.
could find nothing against him. but were compelled
ago. II is only necessary further to add that III
OF the two charges made against Mr.. Lydecker, the
nlcrtuitu CoHlnisSi'N coupitu Nr. rNais, al entry
clerk, and If one guilty the other was. and that
Mr.. Sherman himself has since fully exonerated Mr..
Evans and continues him in Office.
Mr.. Sherman adopts the statement of Mr.. Meredith
and his associates, that did not give that personal
attention to the duties of the Office that would
to be necessary; that he did not usually arrive ut
his office until afternoon. must plead guilty to
this charge far relates to the hour which I
sometimes reached my Office. can only say that
found II constantly necessary to work ut my house,
where / could escape interruption in tine
examination of voluminous papers and perplcx ing
questions constantly coming before me. but that
always made IL y rule to finish the of the day
before left the Custom House, though that required
me to remain there far into the evening. l say con-
fdcnsy that for many years the duties of the Office
have not been performed so promptly as performed
them Every one In or out OF the Custom House
who is familiar with the facts will
firm this assertion. As to my not giving
personal attention to my duties, the charge absurd.
Indeed those who have long been connected with the
Custom House inform me that for great many years
Collector has reserved to himself for personal at
tention large portion of the duties of the Office,
or has extended to his subordinates- whether tho
Special the Assistant collector or the ordinary
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