The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-10-20
REBUFF TO SAUNDERS
His Criticism of Lieut.. Garden
Brought 1t on Him.
ENFORCING NAVIGATION LAWS.
Revenue Officers Must Report Viola
tons, Not Merely Chase smug-
giers, as Saunders Thought.

The recen: reporting of vessels for not
displaying the proper lights has caused
. difference OF opinion between Collsetor
or Customs J. c. Saunders ana Lieut. o.
l. Garden, OF the revenue launch Scout,
and while the latter is not known by word
or act 70 have done anything for or against
the collector. the opposite might not be
said OF Mr. Saunders The outcome is that
the collector has received q letter from
the department which amounts TO a severe
reprlmand
As stated in these columns at the time.
few weeks since Lieut.. Garden reported
and caused the finlng Of the steamer Buck
eye for not carrying life raft. 4 little
later the Scout IN a cruise in Seattle har-
Dor reported steamboats,. yachts. ro4boats
and water craft in general for not display
Ing proper lights. and the fines. II admin
istered, would have amounted 10 from
1850 10 $4,000. The Port Townsend Office
was simply deilged with these reports
and with the present force of clerks the
reports would naturally be consigned TO
the pigeonhoie- Ths collector evidently
conceived the idea that it was not Car
cen's place to make such reports. but
rather to chase smugglers only. Taking
the case OF the Buckeye as an instance, on
September II Collector Saunders wrote 10
the department IN ask IL his version Of
the law Was not the true one. Under date
U september - Acting secretary (. =.
hamiin transmitted TO Collector Saunders
the opinion OF Treasury Solicitor F. A
Reeve with d request that il be forwarded
to Lieut. Garden.
The opinion is substantially as follows:
Collectors and other chief officers of the
customs, and all inspectors within the sew
eral districts, are required 10 enforce the
provisions which provide for the regula-
ton Of steam vessels
This duty is imposed. and the section
following imposes penalty or 500 and
renders the officers liable TO removal from
office for any intentional violation OF such
duty. IL Is certainly very necessary as well
as important. that officers of the revenue
cutter service, should assist officers OF the
customs in the discharge OF all duties i'm
posed on them by law. ! have no hesita
ton In saying that an officer OF the reve-
nue. cutter service does not go beyond his
duty when reporting 10 the proper colloc-
tor Of customs any violation Of the title
in question
The statute in question is not known to
provide for the collectors making any
investigation of the revenue cutter Of
ncers' report, but merely TO impose the
fine, yet Collector Saunders has volun-
tarily undertaken that task. He sent the
hatch Of reports at this harbor 10 Depu-
ty Collector Mcdonald TO investigate. and
the latter detailed a special officer for
search the majority of the rowboats were
given up as phantom craft, as they were
mostly nameless and numberless. AT
latest accounts no fine had been imposed
upon the steamer City Of Champaign, and
here a new difference Of opinion arose
The statute provides that a masthead
light must not be displayed in more than
twenty points OF the compass. This Lieut..
Garden has interpreted TO mean twenty
degrees OF a circle. and from the wording
he Is apparently in error. as twenty points
OF the thirty-two in compass Is consid-
erably more than twenty degrees Of A
circle The Champaign was reported for
a viola ton by a display OF the masthead
light through more than twenty degrees
and for not displaying a stern light and
one side light. With the difference of
opinion regarding the first named she has
not been compelled as yet TO pay any
fine. The steamer City OF Aberdeen. how
ever came up with $500 for a violation in
the case OF the three lights.
The local customs Office has been the
Mecca Of steamboat men for few weeks
past all OF whom were anxious tn secure
the new rules" as they cali those which
have been long in existence.