, 1889-02-14
OUR CUSTOM HOUSE.
DIsgraeefuI Condi.lon of Affairs.

The ARGUS representative callel at the
custom house Il few days ago, to learn,
ii possible, the truth OF the report that
Mr.. Mi Ter, whois now en- route to Port
Townsend, is to take the present collect
OF of customs position. So lar as either
Mr. CUllom or Mr.. Lupton have any
knowledge, there is not the slightest
foundation for the rumor, and there are
inside facts in the case upon which they
base their opinion. Mr.. Miller and the
present incumbents in office are warm
personal friends, and have been for
years. SO that. should it tr anspire that
Mr.. Miller takes position in the office
here he viii in no way antagonize Mr..
Cullom, nor is it at all probable that he
will remain. Since Mr.. Cullom's ad-
vent in the department here the officials
at Washington have been most gcncr-
Gus, in SO far rs making certain changes
are concerned. The order disaliowing
travelling expenses for deputies has been
recindcd, and many suggestions made by
the present incumbent have been carried
out
When Mr.. Cullom arrived here the
Office was in deplorable condition-it
is yet to Il very serious eXtent-and the
work was very much behind, but with
the present force and the system in use,
the collector expects to have everything
in ''sbip-shape" in few days. When
Messrs. Cullom and Lupton arrived
here, the greatest obstacle they cncoun-
tered was the fixing the status OF en-
ployees. None of them appeared to
know what salary they were getting
vouchers were repeatedly sent back and
disOrganization and confusion was the
| result now, however, that has all been
arranged, the men know just where they
stand and better service must be expect
| ed and demanded OF them. As to the
| condition OF the office, it is 4 disgrace TO
| the American government that such q
| state of affairs should exist; papers OF
untold value, and goods, are scattered
about from cellar to garnet; the rooms
| wherein the captured goods are kept re-
| semble, though lack Of accommodations,
the appearance OF Il junk shop rather
| than 4 United States Gust III house, and
| should Il fire occur it Is difficult to calcu-
late the loss it would occasion. When
we visited the office we fornd Mr. Lup-
ton knee-deep in papers, representing
thousands OF dollars, maxi g Il vain at
tempt to atraighten them out. In one OF
the lower rooms we found bundles oi
documents on the floor and in old wood
en- boxes, there being no safer place tC
keep them, the safe being much toe
| small 10 hold the coin receipts even, and
frequently, We are Informed, that tn,
clerks are obliged to carry large amounts
OF money to the banks and there deposit
il because there is not safe room enough
in which 10 store il. The quarters are :
disgrace to the government, and ou: citi
zeus should push the completion OF tn,
new government building, for the cree
ton OF which the sum OF S25O,0OO ha
been appropriated. That the custom
house should remain where it is, whel
there is an appropriation for building
new and better one we can see no rea
son. Our citizens should bear in min
that the sum granted by the government
for 4 building here may be trausferrc
to one OF the other points o1 the Sound
we cannot afford to lose the oppartunit
OF having 4 building erected that wi
make an improvement to the appearance
OF the city such as this would. The il
tcrcst5 oi Port Townsend are being nes
lected in this respect, and the soone
those Interested get /, worI, on it til
better it Will be.