Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1897-03-12
esstx County Afrala.
ISLAND PoND. VT, MARCH IL
WHY NEwPORTr
The Proposed New Collection District.

We may not probably appreciate the
importance of some OF the details of this
new proposition, and we hope they are
not founded on political expedieney. 1t
is difficult, however, to see how Newport
can be selected as the principal port of
entry for the new district when we con-
slider the subject of convenience and
availability. The mileage in the district
must he many times against the loca
ton at Newport, and in favor of Island
Pond. We presume that the reason for
the division of the district as it now is
is that il is bisected longitudinally by the
Green Mountains, that certain lines of
Transportation over which foreign inn
portations are made run down the west
side of the mountains and certain Others
down the ca side Burlington, then, it
may be sug Iested, although reasonably
convenient for the west side is difficult oi
access TO the east side, especially to the
most remote supports. There is much
reason in this. 1t may he chat a collec-
tor in separate districts could have all his
supports better in hand. However, con-
corning this we have not enough intor-
nation to know how that would be.
But if that is true in respect to the whole
district as it now is should not the same
considerations govern in the construc-
ton of the new district? Through the
proposed new district on the east side
runs a line of transportation which
brings more foreign productions than
will be imported through all its sub
ports. During the month of January the
duties assessed at the port of Island
Pond were more than five times the value
of dutiable goods at St. Albaus even, the
second office in amount of business done
in the district. The relations between
the customs business at Island Pond and
the ports of export on the seaboard have
hecn and probably will be more impor
ton than any one other thing, and per
haps all other things, in the district. Th'
collector at Island Pond would be il
touch with all the most important worl
of the custom house. At Newport h
would be away from the bulk of hi
work, and would be convenient only t,
his own port, Derby Line and Troy, 81
that in doing the bulk of his work in TIN
district he would be obliged to depent
upon reports, personal visitations of hi
deputies, journeys from parties inter
ested, and visits which he might max
going across the country to visit wha
would be really his main Office. We d,
not know the proportion the work il
the vicinity of Newport would bear t.
that which would be entirely acconmo
dated at Island Pond, but it is prubabl
many times in favor of the latter. 1t
23 miles from Newport to Island Pont
and in the vicinity of 40 from Islam
Pond to the remote ports easterly. S
geographically situated even Islam
Pond would be several miles westerly {
the business and geographical center
Now to place it twenty-three mile
farther from the center, with no possib
advantages by way of availability seem
to us to be entirely overlooking the tru
merits of the location and we are relu
tant to believe that such locatio
would be either meritorious or goo
policy. What may be personally or Il
caly desired may be one thing, the int
est, convenience and economy of doin
the business quite another. To sho
that Island Pond would he in the line
the main business and any other loo
ton would he far outside of it we ha'
only to suggest that during the month
January last the value of goods entert
at Island Pond on which duties we
assessed was 81, 577, s92, duties $431
S7s, as against goods entered at st. A
bans during the same time valued
$290,954 on which the duties assess,
amounted to $74,3S5.07.