Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-02-21
Serious Charges Against the Treas
urY DEPARTMENT,

Serious Charges Against the Treas
ury Department.
The rules adopted by tho Treasury
Department for regulating and collect
ing the customs duties on imported
sugars have long been source of COM
plant to the refners of the North and
West, who charge that the Department
rules are illegal and oppressive. and that
unjust Determinations are made against
them IN favor of certain prominent re-
finers in New York city. 1t seems that
the law on the subject is so bung-
lingly worded that the Secretary of the
Treasury Is given great latitude in declar-
ing how the different grades of sugars
shall be tested, so as to decide on the du
ties due on them, and the reiners charge
that. through the medium Of these rules
extortionate rates of duties are exscted.
Yet despite their manifest injus-
tice to refners generally, it has long been
a subject of comment that certain New
York refners have enjoyed advantages
not accorded to those in other places,
and this, it is hrewdlY suspected, is the
result of gross favoritism.
Our dispatches this morning announce
that a hearing was giveneon Saturday,
by the House Ways and Means Commit
tee, to delegations from various cities
representing the sugar interests, and
that great complaint was made against
the Treasury Department for its
rulings on the question of duties. We
see it also stated in a Washington
dispatch, that the sugar men do not hest
tate to charge direct collision between
the Treasury officials and Theodore
Havemeyer, of the refining house of
Havemeyer & Elder, of New York.
They charge that Fl. B. James, chief of
the customs division, is the constant OBJ
ject of Havemeyer's attention; that
when he goes to New York he is dined
by Havemeyer, and driven about the
city and to the parks. So constant and
profuse are the attentions shown him
that they have been for some time re-
marked by the members of the sugar
trade in New Y0E Tie Havemeyer
refinery is one of the largest in the
country, and it is evident, so
the sugar men say, that Theodore
Havemeyer is using the customs officials
to further his business designs. He does
not want change in the law because, it
is said, he receives exceptional favors
under it as it now exists. In other words,
the Treasury officials are charged with
granting favors to his firm. How sub
stantial those favors are may be judged
from the fact that, as it Is alleged. the
pOlariscope test is not always applied to
Havemeyer's sugars. Some time ago,
for instance, Havemeyer and some other
sugar importer received equal parts of
cargo of sugar. After it had been ware
housed the polariscope test was applied
to one and not to Havemeyer's sugar
The result was that there was differ
ence of 81. 700 in the customs charges in
favor OF Havemeyer.
1t is further stated that the sugar mer-
chants insist that they can establish
currupt connection through James and
the Treasury Department, and though we
do not presume to state that their charges
are true, certainly circumstances would
indicate that they are not foundationless.
The fact that while all the other refners
in the country have, from time to
time, complained Of the conduct of
Secretary Sherman and his subor-
dinates in this matter, Havemeyer
has always been perfectly satisfied
with the condition of affairs; and the sd
ditional fact that the late Hon. Fernando
Wood, of New York, who was per-
sonal friend Of Mr.. Havemeyer, as
Chairman of the Committee of Ways
and Means, was alwaysan opponent of
a change in the law regulating customs
duties on sugars and its mode of execu-
ton by the Treasury Department, are
very suspicious.
Another hearing is to be given the re-
fners on Tuesday, and it is not unlikely
that their charges as above intimated
may assume tangible form. 1t is hardly
porobable that anything can be done
through the Ways and Means Committee
at this Congress, because the session is
drawing on so rapidly to close, and it
will be impossible for bill or resolution
on the subject to be reached on the cal
endar. If the sugar men can make out
their case, however, a change in the law
will be so imperatively demanded by
justice that the next Congress cannot
refuse TO ignore the question.