The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-06-08
GOOD WORK OF A YEAR. At THE CUSTOM HOUSE
WASHINGTON OFFICIALS VERY
BUSY.
Application of Civil Service Rules
The office of Port Surveyor Likely to
be Abolished.

The office of Port Surveyor will prob
ably be abolished altogether in Homo
lulu, under the American system. Ac
cording to the latest advices this is the
explanation of the fact that Mckinley
has made no appointment of port sur
veyor for Honolulu. Under the Ameri-
can system there is no port surveyor
i'm ports of a certain rank, and Honolulu
will probably not have one. 1t is ex-
pected that after the first years busi-
ness under the American flag, a new
classification will be made on the basis
of the figures presented. At present
the entire force of the custom house is
likely to be reduced as there will be less
work to do with nearly all the vessels
that come here being practically coast
ers. The number of discharging inspec-
tors will be cut down as well as the
force in the upper office.
w. S. Chance and Andrew Smith, the
special treasury agents who came here
on the Australia to look after the GUS
tom house, spent the day yesterday
with Collector Stackable, looking over
the various departments of the bureau
and preparing for the work they have
to do. This morning they were both
on hand early and took hold of the
heavy task before them of getting
things in shape for the change from the
Hawaiian to the American system of
doing business. All sorts of rumors are
afioat as to the effect the change will
have upon the personnel of the custom
house force and the salary roll.
Mr.. Chance stated this morning that
he did not know of any changes con-
templated, either in officers or salaries,
and that the civil service would proba-
bly, not affect the men already in office
The latter have been wondering wheth-
er they will have to stand civil service
examinations. The appointments will
rest with Mr.. Stackable.
| No revision of the salary roll has yet
| been undertaken, and Mr. Chance stat
! ed This morning that there would not
| be any. Stackable is understood to be
| satisfied with the present force, so that
the only thing left for the men to worry
| about is the civil service law, and this,
| Mr.. Chance states, may not require eX-
aminations of those now in office. The
civil service laws will go into effect at
once, but the civil service commission
will not require the officers now hold
| ing commissions to take the eXamina-
tions. These officials Will be consid-
cred as already qualified, by reason of
| their service.
There is a great deal of work to be
done by the two officers before Stacka-
BILE takes the American oath of office,
and sWears in his assistants. The
American customs system has been the
! growth of years and has become a
most complicated affair. The treasury
agents will have to look after many de-
tails, and they will not have much time
to spare during the next week. Mr..
| Chance will stay here till the first of
July, when he will return to Washing
ton. Mr.. Smith may stay for some time
longer, though he stated this morning
that he thought he would be able 70
leave by July 20. While they are here
the two men act as advisers to the col
lector, and will continue in that ca
pacity. Both have had long experience
in the customs service and are very
familiar with the work, Mr.. Chance
having been in the service at Philadel-
phia for sixteen years, and being now
employed by the department at Wash
ington as a supervising special agent.
Mr. Smith was in harness at Detroit for
a number of years.
The Honolulu system is spoken of
highly by the special agent Mr.. Chance
says that the force in the custom house
of Honolulu is an excellent one, and
that the system of work he found here
is also very good. Some of it's features
will be retained.