The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-08-04
THE NEW YORK COLL ECToRsHIP.

The opposition press is greatly exer-
cised over the resignation of Collector
Erhardt, of New York. 1t is not able to
grasp the fact that he goes out of Office
of his own motion. Ii some OF those pa
pers recognize that truth, they maintain
that he was practically forced to resign
to protect his self-respect. There APP
pear to be two causes of difference as
signed by those who are familiar with
the situation between the administra-
ton and Collector Erhardt. The most
important of these is found in the
changes made i'm the methods of trans
acting the customs business by the adj
ministrative customs act passed by the
last Congress. The main object of the
act was to break up the practice of un-
LIBERALIZATION, which increased alarm
ingly during the Cleveland regime, but
had been a growing evil for years be-
cause of the looseness of the whole
system of appraisal of imported
merchandise at New York. For years it
has been notorious that an importer
could get his goods into the American
market at the least cost through New
York, because of the loose construction
of the customs laws and the imperfect
examination and appraisal of merchan-
disc. The new law has taken the ap-
praisal of imported goods very largely
out of the control of local officers and
put its direction into the hands of gen.
eral board of appraisers. The new sys-
tenn has very naturally caused friction
between the local officers welded to old
methods and backed by importers and
the general board. A rigorous system
of appraisal has been inaugurated under
the administrative law which has super
seeded the old easy methods, SO open TO
all sorts of frauds. The Secretary of
the Treasury has supported the national
board, which has given Colonel Erhardt
ground for complaint that the affairs
of the office were largely controlled
from Washington and he was not recOg-
nized in the selection of subordinates
who execute the laws. In other words,
to insure the enforcement of the laws in
the manner which the Secretary of the
Treasury thought it necessary changes
were made of which the collector did
not approve. There was another cause
of difference of opinion. During the
Cleveland regime a considerable num-
Der of worthless Tammany men
got into the customs service. The
friends of these men had influence
with the collector which prevent
ed as general removal as the ad-
ministration is said to have thought
necessary for the best interests of the
service. The appropriation for the pay
ment of customs officials having been
reduced by Congress it was necessary to
cut down the number of employees. An
investigation was made and q number of
men who wereshown by investigation to
be the. most inefficient and who should
have been dismissed before, were re-
ported for discharge. 1t is understood
that Collector Erhardt felt that such
dismissals should have been LETT to him
to make as he deemed best.
The fact that considerable number
of active Tammany henchmen have been
kept in good positions for more than two
years has been q constant cause of irri-
tation to jealous and active Republicans
who do not want places themselves, but
object to have them held by the workers
of Tammany Hall. The recent dismiss
sails have cleared out part Of these Tam
many men. and it is probable that the
new collector will weed out the rest of
the Tammany workers and incompe-