New-York tribune., 1879-01-28


mass hi, entry. While Collector Arthur admitted
that this plan II made compulsory would go iar 10
remedy the evil he thought 1t might lnvoiVe ANNOYING
result, 20 importers by DELAYS Ii has however, Deeh
adoptcd wishout causing annoyance, but on the con-
t,orv Increasing the facilities afforded TO the public
doing business with the Custom House, and II IS De-
ucyed that the payment of Gratuites to clerks III inc
Custom House has entirely ceased.
The third repor shows that the gravcs irregularities
existed in the Department OF Wc'ghers and GauS'rs
That the larger number of thirteen weichrrs ana eSu'
saueers rendered but ltGe If any personal service
TO the Government; that the weiEheis foreman
performed but little service; that weighers clerks IN
some instances performed no duty; that in most
81 not all weigher>' ofces men hired As employ es
and assigned to do the Of regular ccrks t't lne
number of labotcrS thus asSlGht" varies H., ,om so
eieht ucrsuns il each wciEhers once; t'at ihrn :"
assigned had hut little duty 10 perform 'u't r'o~I
were horne the payroll as lanoI'is ~ rc, cX
for uonticai services. who performed no tINlcu ~
cent 10 sgu their rames 10 Iolls ana rtV'lf no.
weighed hy Government officers, hut uN Tu9
who furnished memoranda upon "hirn "," ,T o,i.,
>-egler. made their returns: that part OF l W.
allie goods were not weighed AZ al, bHt nv 'T 'nTT
"nr'l I ,sciol,rrs A. II weighed that IN" .i--iN
mad adol,trd q schedule Of Irregular l'tH' va
tbsy illegally collected from merchants t"r -p~tsl re-
TrIs i copi, of wc'gats. delaying to nakc I'tnrhA J."
the Custom House uutl thr imp"IltI Inlu t ,Ct
lar fcrs: mat 10y reason Of thts" r'ceHI".''A ' " -
of weighing ana CauCuC imported g'"uS a' ''' '"n'
New York has increased TO the enormous sHi - S''
Tue evil. were not unknown 10 Collector Arthur
vet he made attempt during his term "i '"r /"
cdv them. ON the contrary N 'tilef l' i" ne
fbst ne wa, cont lent tan, o." 'oWH.s-l"n Wh'..t
failed to appreciate thc aW"mt o. Won "''. @
ses,tions done greet irimy to them. lac
existence OF al thcsc rrrsui'iilrN VA, sn'S ', @
rCcjlti 'd by ndcpcHdeul ihNcS'~ '!', ,,.,,r il,
direction. The rctoruis proposed 10y me commission ~
the Wr,shcrs' ana GaGseiS' pc#f,mti NyiI ,;,,,
Ton OF over S30oc00 por aaum ID the cost '' , ,nS
branch Of tae service alone besides >c.un- ei'"'
saYlJs 10 tue N"NcIhloVn' al .''"''" ''
OTHER \lIl SIS.
1toIso qpprara from evidence ne in this Depart
,neu fhut 4 vicious practice has Ton long time cN>I'"
OF granting free permits for imported So'"' "''""",
authority law. These permits were u>uay t''"''"
hy Deputy Collector Lydccker. From dct"li'd Sl'''
,nrut ON file IN thi, Department. appears that over 200
srcn oernits we're granted from March, 1874. 90 May
l-75 The value OF goods thus ILLEGALLY aei'rI.L hr.
anre The value was S53 COO The total value II is I'M
possible 20 estimate from the fact tuat except ln very
lew cases no appraisemeut was ever had from -l'C
non OF the hpcrs is apparent that much oi hs e
chandi,e i ii had been property entered and a'rai'n
,brrefoTr nv this Illegal practice. los, large Sums.
Ia the investigate OF claims know a. 'ntI t'S anu
COMMISSIONS Case" the fact disclosed that clerks
engaged in maxim. up statements ot refunds III i'Sc
cases received gSituiteS from attorneys ines" t''lN
are many and amount IN the agcIt gate t"a great sum
# was asccrtllned upon investigation. that IN "a
majority of eases FAR as examined, tncy Wtrc per
tests to the entry after the criIy had been m1dc As
the law stood. AT the inception OF the claim was
necessary before tcund ccuid Tee 1Wtu t"'I Il s
should have been fled at the time OF entry me Iald
consisted in wrougtuIly Ming protest long aitr 'nc
entry, with the pctnCc tidi Was lNio' az ti t'i :"
entry Statements for refund of CalHS' l&U0W'hl Ih
this respect have rec ntH been made Dl GIt 4, 30
Auditors Department OF Tue collector ana Nt-ri. - VI
ices who bad been Illegally receiving from an au"rnI
Tor the claimants percentage "on the amounts o' ''
claims.
rrAsoNS FOR CUANGF OF REGIME.
These reports disclose other abuses. but as MANY OF
hcn had existed loug time, and some Wcrr beyond
The power o tn Collector To correct was not fd' 10
mInte them all to lis fa:lt, or to hod Inn responsible
..U.4, flsHft my
y mis- predecessors for foItvMvcars, having been
srst appointed December p. 1e7l. During
he period Of his service his compensation
amounted 10 S1jjs6O 3G. Octaiied statement {" which
shcrcwi transmitted. An officer charged with The high
aute, OF Collector Port ~ Newlork and receiving
ch condensation ought properly TO be hgid icspoiNi-
,le for all abuses That grew mp or c"hHeI uuIl"S
.rrm Of office. and the existence Of such abuses IA
Iuiceut. II within his power 10 correct theb' "J9hh
The President was strongly of opinion upon Icpor of
the Jay Commission. that The puDhc interest demanded
change the leading officers in The New-1ork custom
House preferred to try TO execute the reforms pro
stranger Tue President acquiesced in this
view; but gradually 1t became ryident that neither M
recommendations Of the commissions, "d could ana dd
resist their fair execution The President ptcae en-,
trcly satisfied that his duty to make change IN
both offices. but With view OF consulting thc Sii-
ate thi. was postponed until The beginning OF me
we're nominated for the Offices Of Collector aud Naval
Onicer. The senate. however. detm'd IT best not TO
conf rin these nominations ana without further coutrO-
Tcpy or any attempt or desire to send the Seratc
other nominations, MesSrs, Arthur and Cornell re-
bei expciience proved that any hope Of carving
o any systematic reforms on changes IN the mode o.
C"nducting business would be aborvc while the
collector ned his position. The same svs;cm the same
,erso the same influence prevailed before From the
nature 0f thing. II was difficult fOi Collector long as
soCatcd with the chief sub0rdnatcS unuer nun 10 hrlt
evil ~ any OF them Mr. Lydcckcr the Deputy Coliec-
tor wa, practically Collector. General Arthur ala uo
give that personal attention Ia the business OF me oce
That would seem he for the proper dSci1 Ee
OF II, duties He did not usually arrive at his once
until afternoon. Continued Complaints came from
other ports OF entry that uncOnstutiona @Ct
Ions made IN favor OF the Port OF New 11iR ny
for damage not permitted OF other ports ~eI
made that system q! undcIValualion prevailed ana
that. bY these means important ofancnes " puSe
turned from their usual course almost eXcusNey
to the Port New York causing reduction OF revenue
aud TO other ports and to TIE people OF the
United states.
NEGLECT BY THE COLLECTOR.
Irespcctfuly call your attention TO the report OF
General Appraiser Jno f. Meredith and Special Agents
S Bingham and g. H. Kinds. of date OF July H. 1879,
copy which is herewith transmitted These gentle
men having had long experience in the Customs Ser
sce were directed to examine into alleged
Irregularities in the administration of the customs
laws IN the chef ports OF the United States aud the
general result Of their examination at the PORT OF New
York is disclosed in their report From testimony taken
and documents referred to by them all OF which will he
of frauds complained OF including uDdelvalnati0ns,
improper weights and MEASURES and Illegal damage
allowance was clearly proven THESE Ou'ers Bay III
regard 80 Collector Arthur:
IL came 10 our notice early in investigation that
the Collector rule neglected Ia appear al his once
until midday after. II claimed by his SPECIAL
deputy Mr. Iydecker, IN explanation uhe Coliec-
tor hs late ARRIVAL at his office 10y remaining
after nOurs. This however, do not regard as sum
cept answer even II IL he true neglect OF duty so
conspcu0usy displayed the presence OF large corps
OF suburdinaes must inevitably have produced very
demOIalzng effect upon the morale OF the ohce and Is
particularly amentabo IL occurred at port OF The
magnitude Of NewYOrk. where over Loo subordinate
n1i m
the customs duties OF the country arc COLLECTED
In this connection, We would Respectfully cdll attch-
ZION 10 special report IL relation 10 certain piacl
tees OF specla deputy Lydecker aud 10 The severa
reports relation him OF SmlIar character which
rs We informed. have heretofore been submitted 10
YOU. We surprised to learn tna Collector Arthur
alter EVug Of the connection OF his special
deputy. Nj. Lydecker. with schenes y defrauu tue