The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-10-05
DODGING THE NEW LAW.
FRANTIC IMPORTERS PACK NEW
YoRK's CUSTOM HOUSE.

nao,sion to Close at 8 O'clock Re-
~,oked. owing to Pressure on the
COLLECTOR -Consignees Wave Rolls
of Bills, and Howl Themselves
uoarse-The Custom House Babel.
Nrw YORK, Oct. 4-The most intense
,,,c;,ament has prevailed in and about the
oustom house all day. Whole troops of
;nnorters and brokers kept coming and
Going. As o'clock approached the num-
Sers increased, until finally the rotunda of
~. custom house was filled with a solid
mass of humanity, which perspired, jostlsd,
pushed and yelled. All carried large sums
Of money. They were on hand to enter
Goods that we're expected to arrive late this
afternoon They wished to get their entries
in under the old law, and stood ready to
MAKE the entries the moment the vessel was
sighted at Fire Island.
A FRANTIC CROWD.
Bv decision yesterday the custom house
vas IN have closed on the stroke of 8 O'Clock
this afternoon. All goods arriving after
that hour we're to come in under the new
law and have duty charged accordingly.
The mass Of importers and brokers in the
custom house was SO great at 3
o'clock D, ~. that Collector Erhardt
deemed it inadvisable to close at
that hour. He announced that the time
would be extended to o'clock. Each mo-
ment after o'clock the excitement became
greater. Those in the rotunda appeared to
be going crazy. They shouted, yelled and
made futile efforts to move about. The
scene was not unlike that of the stock ex-
change. The clerks in the various divis-
ions were swamped with business.
KEPT OPEN TILL MIDNIGHT.
Not for years has such a scene been en-
acted in the custom house. Every few
minutes delegations of importers and
brokers invaded the collectors office and
importuned him to keep the custom house
open until midnight. The collector was in
ouandary His office was jammed full of
importers who waved rolls of bills in their
hands and shouted to him not to close Gus
toms. The pressure on the collector became
50 great that finally he sent telegram to
Washington. 1t was directed to Secretary
Window, and requested advice as to what
the collector should do under the circum-
stances. The importers expected the vessels
to arrive at O'Clock In little time there
came an answer from Washington. 1t was
from the Secretary of the Treasury and in Z
formed the collector that he could use his
own discretion in the matter. Upon re-
ceipt of Secretary WINDOWS telegram Col
lector Erhardt and seven deputies held q
consultation. They decided to keep the
custom house open until 12 o'clock tonight
The importers cheered.
The steamships City of Chicago, Vandam
and City Of Columbia, the latter from
Havana, with cargo of tobacco, are ex-
pected to arrive this evening.
RACE AGAINST TINE.
At $50 p. m. the City of Chicago entered,
and great part of the waiting crowd was
relieved. At 6:05 p. NJ. the st. Regul, with
acargo of laces, silks and velvets was en-
tered. At lO:3O .. N. it became known
that the Etruria had been sighted. At one
minute OF II the captain of the
Etruria had not arrived. Tea sec
onds later, when all the lights
we're out, a carriage came on a rush to the
door. and great shout went up. From it
Jumped Capt Haines, who was Immediately
behind the counter, and entered his vessel
Just before the clock struck IL. Three
cheers and a tiger were given for him. The
captain had come up in a special tug and
was driven at breakneck pace from the
COCK to the custom house.
A TREASURY CONSULTATION.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 4-The treasury de-
partment was closed to-day out of respect
70 the memory of ex-Secretary Thomas of
Maryland. Secretary Window, Assistant
Secretaries Spaulding and Nettleton and
General Appraiser Tichenor spent the dav
there, however, in conference over oues-
uons that have arisen in regard to the exc
cGtion OF the new tariff law, which takes
erect Monday morning.
Several importers. desirous of receiving
tne 1uil benefit of the existing tariff rates.
applied to the treasury department for per
mission to enter goods at the custom house
up TO midnight Sunday. Assistant Secre-
ary opauldlng informed them that this ia
=. matter entirely within the discretion of
1ne collectors of customs at the various
PPorts, and that the department was NOT
disposed to interfere in the matter.
FIRST FRUITS OF THE NEW LAW
FITTsBURG, Pa, Oct A straw paner
Sus', representing eighty-two mills, with a
10 capacity OF twenty-five tons daily. has
tSe yeen formed to control the market west of
t5e 5e Allegheny mountains. The object of
% Sne combine is to maintain prices
o "nlcn, it Is claimed, have been ruinously
O". for instance, in 1880 the price was
Sooan oon'S per pound, while now it is IL cents.
TUHe uai. OF the mills will be shut down. to
''li' 'he output of straw paper.