New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-30
FRAUDS IN CUSTOM HOUSE.
SPANISH METHODS OF COLLECTING
DUTY AT HAVANA
CHANGES MADE BY COLONEL BLISS MEAS
uRE-MucH MONEY WASTED UNDER
SPANISH RULE CHANGES
IN INVOICES


Havana. April 22-The most startling feature OF
Spanish maladmnistretion was the custom house.
The courts afforded fine dividends. Internal taxes
we're well thought OF by official thieves. The army
nav chest was a notably rich opportunity TOT
couple OF years But the richest vein In all Cuoa'
the one that automatically yielded million ana
half a month was the Custom House receipts AZ
Havana An enormous volume OF trade poured
through here for Havana is classed as the fourth
Mort In North America only New-York Phiiadei-
nh,a and Boston outranking II in the value OF I'M
ports. -. .o,es,
administration for estimating with something HN0
accuracy what the Treasury should have han
Colonel Tasker H. Bliss. Secretary OF the treas
urv Denartment here under a tariff that Is o. per
cent less than the Spanish tariff. Is colecuns %
per cent more revenue-that Is. under 'he "f"
tariff in normal periods the revenues yea''' W"
90 600 900 for Havana and 100000 for the isiahu.
Under the low American tariff duties are coi'e0''
at the rate Of 100000 a month for havana an"
81 10000 a month for the island $500.
An estimate shows that on the same i"pv -
the Spaniards in Havana ought to nave turneu u"
szsOoooOO instead OF 100000 The purchasing power
~ the island is less than before the revolution
<-o...o,,a,.,, ,bo frauds were even more colossal
chan so 600 COO the annual difference reVealeo pe
tween these amounts. In the snort ti'he en"' a."
honest man. Senior Ariete. was collector IN blanCo
term he doubled the total OF the collections on I'M
merits though they were oie-thfu ieSS Una" ~
WHERE THE MONEY WENT.
Where did the 100000 go? Oficials' II IS as
serted probably got one-third or onefourth OF the
,n. Tho bribe-eiying importers had the rest
WHEN CoIonel Bliss took charge he found -FOUR men
in the Appraisers Department who were ca LIZ
meritortos He inquired what meritoro was =.
word was translated for him freely as appre"'''e
The four apprentices. II appears were serving INC
Government without pay The importers ho"eVe.'
uhaso men soon retired. Three OF them went "
spain and dispatches received here say 'nao one
OF them has been elected TO the Chamoer Vi De'D
ties Liberal ~ ,reu
Anv little 5000 Spanish clerkship, II one hau inu
-. .rorgh IN hold il for a few years, would re-
ii, In q nest egg for old age. II Is claimed Ihdt
q was better for a dukes son to he the keeper Vi
q wharf gate for season than 10 awe" az
FOR several seasons. II was not necessary io "
ran 70 have anything directly to DO with 1acli'a'
ing importations in order 10 SNARE !" ' P
the Custom House -.
c,r,nlv IN he one Of the three hundred custom
Mouse employees was enough 10 enttle MN 10 POI
tion Of the plumber. The system was so auJuS'eu
,hot imnorters outside OF the Clique were suoJec.eu
a. erea for incredibly trihng offences. sucn as lot
not having properly allowed for the weight Oh co,h
H. q vino invoice or for not having read the Hi''u
NJ the collector regarding the number OF the para
granh under which the importation was cnai seaoiV
THESE fines rumor has It, went INTO Iuiu "'O
could rusn a trade rival or drive him from business
~ sin,nlv setting in motion the fine system IN IN
porters sometimes. abandoned ther eoSu srns as
Custom House because OF the amount VI "''
sessed.
A PRIVILEGE TO BRlBE
,,,,eco N he allowed to bride. Ind-
,,dusi in,norters were able to pay well only wheh
fair percentage of goods. duties full PAID were
offered on the market. Therefore. one man ol'oe
was not as good as another's. The importer h"u u
n he ION the inside" the Custom House Grove Vt
scorned the offered bride. Fifteen or twenty S'edi'
Arms almost monopolzed the fraud business S. az q
though sometimes small importer WouiI "a about
Nance Hence is pointed out. II came aOVu'
that one Of the most important houses IN thlS
was able sell -four at g 9arr ale less on .ia" Some
could import flour ana pay tle uut3 "a ~
times The -four came in as cabbages ana sUIie
as charcoal Cargoes of Porto Rcan coffee came
In as beans American tobacco Nas 1885, .red as
vegetable products. and groceries were entered as
saSoS articles put on the market by houses that
did not have politicians in partnership ,,sod
70 Bring in regularly 1000 tierces of lard at 800
pounds to the tierce. and pay duty on them mem, as
u pound and on potatoes three cents uerce OF OF
lard weighed 300 pounds more than the fy
1000 packages Of potatoes instead , , OF on On inv
tierces of lard saved $1,000 TO get suSh an e l. n
portaton through used TO cost from $U~ 10 $oVoV'
CHANGES IN THE SYSTEM.
Colonel Bliss has changed all this He has
changed the system Of appraisal. the system of
bookkeeping the system Of inspection. the entire
machinery Of figuring and collecting the revenues.
IT is scarcely possible now for importers and en-
ployes of the Custom House to act in COLLISION to
their mutual advantage The Collector himseif
could not be dishonest without several OF ms SUD
ordinates knowing IT, OF course, II Is possible Ior
a sack of diamonds 10 be struggled inside bundle
Of hay. Smuggling. in the old Spanish sense Is no
more possible here now than at Boston or Phiia-
delphia. Colonel Bliss has given TO all the I'M
porters notice of his wish to know Of any employe
who tries to hinder the movement OF an importa-
ton because the empoye thinks he might get up
from the merchant by getting the goods through
quickly. T. -
Under the old system it was not possible for a
Cuban to import and sell in competition with
Spanish merchants. The fact that they were Gu
bans was quite enough to exclude native traders
from the advantages Of the Custom House. As un-
der the present system the rich old-time favoTltes
are not able TO get the advantages they used TO
have they are disposed to oppose the reforms.
The honest merchant class. however; thoroughly
approves Of the way Of doing things.
TO TEST PORTO RICO CUSTOMS LAWS.