The Portland daily press., 1881-11-28
THE CUSTOMS SERVICE.
Report of the Supervising Special Agent
of the Treasury.

Report of the Supervising Special Agent
of the Treasury.
WASHINGTON, Nov. GA. x. Tingle, su-
peryising special agent of the Treasury De-
partment, has submitted his annual report.
This division is charged with the general in
spection of customs districts and prevention OF
frauds upon customs. Mr.. Tingle says no ma
terial improvement can be made in the pres
emit methods of customs business without legis-
lation. 1t is known that many of the vexa-
tious requirements prescribed by law and used
in customs transactions might be discarded not
only without detriment but with positive bene-
fit to the public service. He submits sugges-
tions for legislative action in the direction OF
the simplification of methods and the relief OF
importers and of shipowners, believing they
will meet The hearty concurrence and approval
of experienced customs officers. He says ITO
custom house has paid its way by fees for
many years, while the aggregate amount OF
fees collected is about $500, 900 per annum and
the annual cost of collecting the customs reve-
nue. is over $6,000,000 These fees are made
up of the aggregate number of small and an
moving exactions from importers and shipown-
ers, are difficult to collect and involve great
and Improbable amount of clerical work In
keeping, stating and auditing.
He then recommends the payment OF stated
srlaries to custom house officers at all ports,
and eays one of the Objectionable features of
the present system is the temptation to collect
ors at small ports to obtain additional COM
pensation for storage under the bonded ware
house system of means of Misrepresentation
and false vouchers. A number of cases of this
character have been discovered in examination
of the custom house. Another object is the
uncertainty of the amount of compensation,
and, in some cases, insuficiency of fees to ade-
auately pay the officer. The oaths required to
be taken before the collectors upon entry of
any merchandise, are. as a rule, merely formal
and serve no purpose except to cause great
inconvenience to importers by compelling
their personal attendance at the custom house.
They do not deter the dishonest from maxi
ing fraudulent entries, nor do they add to the
security of the revenue. Upon entries OF mtr-
chandise by honorable merchants a simple dec
laration, signed by the importer and attested
by notary, and made by statute OF the same
binding force as an oath, would prove great
relief to me rchants, and would be fully as safe
as the present system. He recommends the
consolidation of districts and reduction OF
the number of ports of eutry, and the aboli-
ton OF certain bonds required of importers
which are only an annoyance to merchants
aud are no protection to the government.
Shipping commissioner officers should be
brought under Executive control, and their
receipts and expenditures accounted for, and
audited in the same manner as is required OF
other officers who receive and distribute pub
lie moneys.
II is believed that abroad the practice OF UNI
LIBERALIZATION will continue and increase, until
tariff legislation is bad, substituting speclhc
for ad valorem rates whenever practicable.
The report closes with an extended reference
to the sugar imports and table OF receipts and
expenditures