The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-05-11
THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR ONE.

From the New York Herald.
According to the report of the super
vising special agent of the treasury de.
partment, as contained in the finance
report of the secretary of the treasury,
there are certainly number of Offices
in the customs service of the country
that ought to be abolished
These are the ports or alleged ports
of entry at which the expenses of col
lecting duties greatly exceed the re-
ceipts, or where there are no receipts
at all There are a number of such,
and though there is no revenue from
them there is of course expense moro
or less considerable
New York actually collects seven
tenths of the entire customs revenue of
the country, and with but one exception
does it at a lower average cost than
any port in the country. Last year it
collected 1888, 0S2, 03L IS at an expense
of So, 702, 306.57. There were employed
1, 733 persons, and the proportionate
cost of collecting one dollar was ono
operated under the lowest expenses
One man is employed there, and he col.
lected S. 544 90 at an outlay of sos. 43,
or one and six-tenths cents per dollar.
This is an exceedingly good showing,
particularly when contrasted with the
expenses elsewhere The most out
rageous exhibition of extravaganza is
observed at the port of Taquina, Ore,
where it costs proportionately "a, AS. "a
to collect one dollar. They have a col
lector there who drew during the fiscal
year of 1898 compensation of 81, 002. IS,
and in return for this handed over to
the revenue the sum of twenty-five
cents
Natchez, Mass, comes next on the
list, the proportionate cost of collecting
a dollar there being s1.Ool. The col
fifty cents to the treasury and was
compensated to the extent Of $500. so for
his vast labor. Annapolis, Md, stands
rather high in the list of unproductive
ports, it costing there sS93 So to collect
a dollar. The expenses were 1924 so
and the aggregate receipts 81 35.
Other high cost places and the pro-
portionate amount of expense for the
collection of one dollar of revenue are:
Teche, La. s244ss; Cedar Keys, Fla,
500 IS; Kenne bunk, Ne, s157. 81; Rock
Island, Ill, s97. IS; Newberne, n. c.,
s71.O4; Cape Charles City. Va, 500. SIS;
Burlington, Ia, s31.91; Castine, Me-,
go. Al; Georgetown, S. c.. s34 10, and La
Crosse, Wis, s35.
There are quite a number of sine
cures in the service, where men are re-
tanned and remunerated for their
services without collecting penny OF
revenue. In this category, with the
amount paid to the customs officer in
charge, are the following: Coos Bay,
Ore, s;,s32: Beaufort, n. C., 81, 1872;
Crisfeld, Nd. 81, SOS IS; Tappahannock,
Va, 1882 "a; sag Harbor. n. Y, s416. 66;
York, Me-, $3.50 or; Paducah. KY. $3.50;
Galena, H.. $3.50; Chattanooga, Tenn,
s462 so, and Bristol and Warren. T. L.,
$50
The expenses of collecting the reve-
nue. at certain offices, while not pro-
portionately large per dollar. run into
large amounts and consume the entire
proceeds and instances cause deficits in
the receipts o. the Office. Thus, at
Corpus Christi, Tex, it costs e26, 97s to
collect sic, 9O3; at Gloucester. Mass,
s1s.29i to collect si2, 264: at Norfolk
and Portsmouth, Va, sl8.6s3 TO collect
SIS, 63l; at Waldoboro, Ne, es,40l to
collect $500, and at Wilmington \.
c., Si0,517 TO collect $40, 514