The San Francisco call., 1897-10-09
JEROME STILL
At THE HELM
As Clerk Number l He Still
Gives Orders to the
Deputies.
Collector Jackson Has Not Yet
Appointed a Special
Deputy.
Contends That he Can Give Power of
Attorney Without Asking the
Department.

The status of e. B. Jerome in the Gus
tom-house continues to be the chief topic
of discussion in Federal political circles.
Interest in the matter was intensified by
the publication in yesterdays CALL of q
dispatch from THE CALLS regular corre-
spondent in Washington announcing that
The Treasury Department had not been
officially notified that Mr.. Jerome was
acting as Special Deputy Collector OF Gus
toms at San Francisco; that they were un-
officially made acquainted with the fact
last Tuesday, and that Mr.. Jerome would
not be allowed TO act as such, his appoint
ment as special deputy by Collector Jack
son having heen rejected by the Depart
ment as soon as it was made.
All the talk has arisen from the circum-
stance that Mr.. Jerome continues to oc-
cupy the desk in. the Collectors office up
stairs in the Custcm-h house, where he has
sa Tor several years exercising the fnnc-
tions of special deputy; that brokers and
importers and clerks are sent upstairs to
consult with him; that he continues to
pass upon matters connected with the
service, and that his orders end instruc-
lions are implicitly obeyed by the deputy
collectors and clerks on the plebeian floor
below. With only one exception, the du-
ties performed by Mr.. Jerome, Clerk No.
l, class 6. are precisely the same as those
which were performed bv Mr., Jerome as
special deputy and power of attorney.
That exception IS that he does not affix
his signature to papers as such special
deputy.
Hence it was natural that all parties
concerned should be somewhat inquisi-
live as TO whether Collector Jackson old
or did not have special deputy and
power of attorney, and also as to the
81 sswrn nE hnf I,Ata .zl
existed.
Since the rejection by the Treasury De-
partment OF the Collectors appointment
OF Mr.. jerome, Mr.. Jackson has not made
or suggested the appointment of any
other person as such official, and the
query rose: Suppose that the Collector
of the Port was 10 be taken suddenly ILL
who would be authorized TO act for him ?"
CALL reporter yesterday asked Coltec.
tor Jackson whether or not he had II spe-
cial deputy. He answered promptly and
mnhatically that he had not.
L have made contract with fate not
to get sick and with myself not to be alb
sent from my post" he added
He said further that there was no such
thing in the regulations as a special de D.
uty, and that by the terms Of section 2630
the duties OF the Collector may be per-
formed in his absence by de putty thereto
duly authorized" This authorization
WOuiu De power OF attorney granted Dy
the Collector without any reference to the
Treasury Department. In other words
the power of the Collector of Customs to
endow one of his deputies with his power
of attorney was individual, and one over
which the Treasury Department had no
control.
This rower of attorney will therefore
be conferred upon one of two persons
whenever the Collector shall deem neces-
sary. and 1hoss persons are Deputy Col
| cctor Farley and Deputy Collector Stan.
| ley Jackson.
Mr. jerome contends that he is acting
simply as Chief Clerk, and that his in
structions and orders are given as such.
The statement from Washington that
Stanley Jackson, son of the Collector, had
been recognized by the department as
special deputy, is held by one or two old
timers about the Custom house to mean
that Colonel Tobin has an opportunity of
well informed say that Tobin could not
stultifying itself
1t has rece ntly come to light that Tobin,
Immediately after his moval, filed pro.
lest with the Civil Service Commission,
alleging that his dismissal from the SER
vice was a violation OF the regulations, but
the com mission decided that the point
was NOS we'll taken and that he was as po-
ltically dead as door nail so far as the
Custom house was concerned, because the
Secretary of the Treasury had accepted
the nomination of Stanley Jackson in
Tobin's place.