The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1901-08-06
MAY NEED
new men
TheCustOm House
May Receive
Addition.

should the course suggested by the
special agent OF the Treasury. ]. II.
Cummings, who has been i'm the city for
the past two months, be adopted, there
viii be given to the custom house here
a force more in consonance with its
needs and the men will be in every
way better equipped for their work
The report of Special Agent Cummings
went forward yesterday in the mail in
the zealandia. At the same time it is
understood there was forwarded re-
port by Collector Stackable, in which
practically the same recommendations
are made This coming together of the
two men whose weight will be felt at
tn Department indicates that there
will be many changes in the customs
department before the end of the year
The service during the past year has
not been what was hoped. as when the
United States took 'over the customs
house the special agents who came
down to start the work on regular lines
arranged for it's conduct on the basis
of a half million-dollar Office. When 1t
is taken into consideration that up to
this time the collections have been at
the rate of nearly 100000 month, the
comments will change to admiration
that SO much has been done. In addi-
ton to this there have been more
changes in the personnel of this Office
than in many of the larger offices of the
country. This fact has been due In
part and perhaps entirely to the fact
that the pay of Governmental positions
is materially below what 1t was under
former conditions.
1t is understood that this fact has
been brought home to Special Agent
Cummings with force during the time
he has been here, and that in his rec
ommendation to Assistant Secretary
Spalding he will propose an increase in
the forces of the collector amounting to
some % per cent Further than this II
is the gossip Of those who should know
that ne will recommend that many
salaries be increased, so that the earn
ings will be on the level with expendf-
lures, as they are in the older customs
houses.
1t is said that there will be the great
est change in the liquidating and APP
praising departments. The men who
have come in contact with these Of
fees aver that there is more work done
by the clerks there than by men in any
business house in the city. 1t is un-
derstood that there will be a great in
crease in the latter division, and there
is some talk among the men at the
foot of Fort street that the two officials
have asked that there be erected
special department. for this branch OF
the business, so as to relieve the col
lector of the details. Such a plan is not
generally favored at Washington, as
there are many of the Treasury De-
partment men who believe that there
should be only one head to an office.
There will be at least dozen new
men needed in the event the plans
made by the officials here are adopted
by the department. These may not all
come from the city however. as 1t has
been the custom in the opening or or
the enlargement of, an office to have
at least one expert examiner who has
seen service at another port than that
at which he is to serve. Whether or
not this course will be followed Is a
matter which developments only Will
settle.
1t is the gossip about the customs
house that there will be many altera-
lions in the building and the accommo-
dations for the clerks very soon. The
building is old and there has been moth
ing done for it for many years. 1t Is
understood that there will be new
roofs and floors, and that the Internal
arrangements will be materially al
tered