The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-08-15
Mr.. Russell Retires.
SOMETHING ABOUT THE THIRD REVENUE DIS.
TRICT..


TRICT.
! Collector Otis III. Russell retires to-day
( from the office OF Collector OF the Third
district, and will turn over the balance OF
his stock OF stamps. amounting to over a
, hundred thousand dollars. and all Govern
ment property and records, to Mr.. James
ID. Brady, the collector OF the consolidated
district, to be known hereafter as the Sc
cond, embracing fOrtv-siX counties and five
cities OF Eastern Virginia. This transfer
/ OF stamps closes Collector Russells accounts
: with the Government, which now only re-
( qulre a few days to adjust and settle by the
Department.
! Collector Russell was first appointed col
Iector OF the Fourth district by President
johnson in August, 1868, and collector OF
the Third district by President Grant in
May, 1915; but was consolidated out in
! October, 1876. He remained in charge CT
the office, however, as chief deputy (by re-
quest OF the Department. for nine months,
when he was again appointed collector by
President Hayes in July, 1877, which DO
sition he has held up to to-day-in all
about fifteen years. During these years OF
service as deputy and as collector he has
collected and deposited S37,000.000, which
Is two fifths OF all the internal revenue col
lected in Virginia since the war.
ENTIRE SATISFACTION.
Mr.. Russell has given entire satisfaction
70 the merchants and manufacturers OF this
city, and retires with the best record that
the department can give him rs IN honest,
efficient, and prompt collector. He eX-
poets to take little rest and recreation in
2 4, ri
will then enter into active business in this
city.
| IL has been the hope and wish OF this en-
tire business community that the President
would reconsider his determination to con-
soildate this district with the Second, which
seems so unnecessary and unreasonable,
entailiug actual loss and great inconve-
nience to our Richmond manufacturers.
| The Tobacco Exchange some weeks ago
adopted strong resolutions setting forth
/ the various reasons why tins city and dis
/ trict should not he attached to the Second.
/ These resolutions were endorsed by the
president OF the Chamber OF Commerce,
and committee was appointed to present
b them TO President Arthur. This commit
e tee went to Washington and presented
these resolutions to the President. and
urged him not TO make this change, be-
cause by changing the district 1t would
necessitate changing the factory numbers
/ OF both tobacco and cigar-manuiactorles,
and injure all OF the trade marks that have
[ been established at great cost; and that by
changing the district and factory numbers
on their printed matter, such as caution
notices, brands, and labels, il would entail
considerable loss and great inconvenience;
/ besides, making Richmond only division,
| in charge OF 4 deputy, must inevitably
cause annoyance to the large export trade.
+ These reasons, together with the fact that
| the internal-reyenue collections in this city
are the largest in the State, would appear
sufficient to keep the district as it's.
THE PRESIDENTS PROMISE.
The President talked freely for one hour
with the committee, and promised to look
personally into their grievances, dc. But
this respectful petition from the largest
tobacco-shipping port in the United states,
where thirty-ninc millions OF dollars OF
revenue have been collected and PAID INTO
the Treasury, had no weight whatever with
him, and so he abolishes the Third district
and attaches Richmond to the Second, with
n deputy in charge OF the Richmond office.
Collector Russell wrote TO Secretary Fol-
ger at the time the President was consider
! Ing how he might reduce the cost OF col
, lecting the revenue this year that he could
reduce the annual expense OF his Once
| $1,000 provided the Secretary would slls-
sustain him IN eliminating politics from the
Office. This was practical way to reduce
/ the expenses and not disturb the business
interest OF large cities like Richmond. IL
all OF the collectors in the service Zone
hundred and twenty-six in ally had recon-
mended the same reduction, the saving to
the Government would amount to S743,-
400 il adopted by the Secretary, while the
plan adopted by the President will result
in very little il any saving to the Govern