New-York tribune., 1882-02-20
BRIBERY OF CUSTOMS OFFICERS.

SHIP LINES SAY.
Professor d. S. Jordan, of the State University OF
Indiana in a public address given III lndianapoHIs I
recently on evil service reform. asserted liiat III
September last when returning from Europe Win an
q, cursion party of which he was the manager he
poid di.nitied Federal officer several gold COINS
to mass the trunks of the patty without inspec-
ton Since this accusation was made surveyor
Graham who las charge of the baggage inspec-
tjun has made examination into all the circuni-
stances connected with the case ana has nearly
completed long report Oh the mat ler. In answer
to inquiries the subject the other day IN reference
to this and other cases he said
am convinced that the charge made by Pro-
fessor Jordan If lie made any such statement,
is false | have thoroughly examined into AL the
circumstances relating to the baggage OF MT.
Jordan's party, and don't believe that they had
any dutiabe goods which they escaped pay
mcnt Each member OF the party made declara-
ton as to the amount of his baggage, whether
dutiabe or not. and these declarations are now on
file. | have examined every officer who had any
thing to do with the baggage and. as said before,
the assertion if ever made is absolutely untrue.
Persons who go to Europe on cheap excursion 90
not carry much baggage and l think invest little
will publicly boast of having hribcd an Official 10
evadc the law is to my mind one whose statements
must he taken with allowance.
RnmOrs of payments OF this character are not
nfrcquent,' remarked the reporter. What op-
poruniiles are there for inspectors to Jake Iribes
OF this kind ~
"The opportunities are very few. Each steam
ship is boar ed by the inspectors at Quarantine. ana
every passenger is required IN make declaration
:
presentation OF which to the officer IN charge on
the pier his baggage is delivered 10 him. ana IN
spectors assigned to examine It, There Is always
a deputy surveyor with three stan o'ilcerS ana
abont twenty-five inspectors on the pier on the
arrival of steamer In addition, the Collector
assigns q special officer and the Appraiser another.
The inspectors assigned by the deputy IN rOta-
ton to examine the baggage as each passenger
presents ticket, so that there can be no couslon
between an inspector and passenger, while the
special officers are constantly watching, as
check upon the inspectors There are 800 lnSpec-
tors, and they changed abont on different work
frequently, They are appointed by the Collector,
and are under my SUPERVISION Some OF those now
in Office were selected under the Civil Service rules
The pay is 81 AGO year | think the present IN
spectors are above the average in point OF ability
"Do you think then, that there are no instances
where brbes are paid to inspectors, iand dutiabIe
goods allowed to escape payment OF duties =
" | think such cases are very rare now mncn
more so than formerly. 1t would be hard TO scle;t
800 men without some black sheep getting IN
among them Aud with a pier crowded wlth n pas M
sengers, is sometimes the case, it would be I'M
possible TO watch closely every inspector wlthont
doubling the force. The regulations are very strict
however. Every piece of baggage has to be eX-
amined. We make no exceptions. think most of
these stories of bribery can he traced to men anx,
ious to be employed as spies man named , boigt
was so employed at one time. He caused all man
ncr of annoyance to innocent persons especially
women, by stopping them at railroad depotS ferry
houses, hotels and other places, ana re-eHanllning
their baggage often causing the loss of trains ana
extra expense. During two years and hall OF thls
work he only found three cases where dutlabe
goods had escaped the proper payment. When Col.
iector Merritt came in Office ho did not reappoint
BOrgt, but put stop to the infamous spy system
which caused so much trouble and indgna-
ton. The effect of the stringent examinations
made in the last two or three years has been
largely to reduce the amount of baggage brought
entirely to Smuggling / think steamship men and
the propretors of retail stores Will agree with me
in this respect"
tom HOuse gave the following results as to the
duties collected on the baggage of the cabin pas
sencers in the years named there being no record
of the number of passengers III 1876 and 1871
Under Surveyor Sharpe.
e2,2i2
Under Smreyor Merritt
1873. January to August $23,627
U,,dcr Surrcyor Graham.
1878. August to December 3l..-.-.......SIl l926l
1879. 4O472 ll737S
1880 81 1927 passengers. 1914
1881. SO, ,253 l5o6i6
The total amount of collections in 1873 was
$142 SSS, and the number of passengers 4O,162.
The return of visitors from the Paris Exposition
swelled the receipts somewhat IN the last half of
the year 1873 In 1881 the surveyor says that
great many passengers who would ordinarily have
taken steerage passage came III the second cabin,
owing to the crowded state of the steerage by the
increase in the number of immigrants
Mir. Hoyt. of the Cnnard Steamship Line when
asked if there had been any decrease IN the last
three years i'll the amount OF baggage brought TO
this country by cabin passengers. said within
tDe last few years there has been decided de-
crease IN the average per passenger on onr line.
Whether or not that Is due to the moro rigid cX-
aminations of passengers baggage by the custom
authorities, | cannot say. There is no doubt that
the examinations are more strict now than they
were few years ago, and | do not believe that
there is any smuggling carried on now ii tnat way,
or if any it is very small The inspectors are
watched very closely, and they arc on the average
a superior body of men. There is also a regular
increase in the number of passengers carried"
Mr.. Henderson, of the Anchor Line, III answer to
ingnires on the subject. SAID Z" / do not think
there is any difference as to the average quantity
of baggage brought over by cabin passengers now
as compared with former years. There is, of
corrse gradual increase in tue number OF passen-
gers carried AS to smuggling or tie brlblng 0l
Custom House inspectors, believe there is less of
that than formerly. Every piece OF baggage
Is examined now. Formerly when one of our COM
pany came over his baggage was passed on his own
statement of its contents. Now it is always exam
ined The special officers watch the baggage ex-
amnations very closely.
similar inquiries said There is no difference that
can see in he average amount OF baggage brought
over by cabin passengers now as compared with
former years. There is a large increase I'D the
number OF cabin passengers coming to this country
on our line. As to the bribery OF Custom House
inspectors think there is very little of that done.
The opportunities are, very few. Baggage is ex;
amned much more closely than formerly AMI
there are so many special officers that passengers
with dutiabe articles cannot easily escape"
gentleman who has crossed the ocean two or
three times "A year for the last ten years said that
there was no doubt more or less bribery of nspec-
tors going all the time. He had known several
instances of the kind, and had heard the matter
was no doubt whatever that the system of cDlleCt-
ing duties had been greatly improved within few
years, ana that the baggage examinations were
more rigid and bribery was less frequent.
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