Evening star., 1903-07-20
LOSS TO UNCLE SAM
SINECURES THAT COST THE Gov
ERNMENT A GREAT DEAL.
Position in the Custom Service That
Yield Little, but Ars Well Paid
Auditor Andrews Report.

W. E. Andrews, the auditor for the Treas
ury Department in his annual report to
Secretary Shaw, calls attention to the fact
that there are more than thirty laws and
methods governing the payment OF salaries
to collectors and surveyors at non-naval
ports throughout the country. He says
that this lack Of uniformity involves COM
plicated and cumbersome methods Of ac-
counting and recommends that the statutes
be made uniform. Mr.. Andrews thinks 1t
highly important that Congress should pass
uniform laws governing the payments to
collectors and similar officials.
Mr.. Andrews presents some tables that
are of more than passing interest as Illus
trating the sinecures that are in the Gus
toms service and which Congress year efter
year continues at great expense not count
Ing the dangerous precedentS that are eS-
tablished. Exhibit c of the report is
statement showing the average of the total
compensation of collectors and surveyors
at various ports in the customs districts
for the last five years. and the average
receipts at the offices for the same time.
These reveal IA rather startling state of af-
fairs
For instance, the average receipts Of the
Albemarle. N c., customs office for the
last five years have been 81 80 year. while
the collector of the port receives an annual
salary of $1,000 for his trouble in collecting
this great sum. Besides this the collector
receives fees of $2OS.34 a year for services
to American vessels, making his total COM
penSatlon S1.2OS a year. He has one en-
ploye in his office and the total cost of
the two men to the government Is $1.691
year for collecting 1.SO in customs dues
The average yearly collections at AnnapO-
lis. Md. for the last five years have been
$500, while the total salary Of the collector,
including fees. is $4a9S7. He has two en-
ployeS. who make the total yearly expense
of his Office S1.155.
The yearly customs receipts at Cherry
stone. Va. have been 40 cents yet the col
lectOr receives salary of $50 per annum,
besides SE'3.6i per annum in fees for serv-
ices to American vessels His salary and
that of his employees is sH1.14 year.
considerable outlay for the collection of 40
cents each year
The surveyor OF customs at Galena ILL.,,
receives 500 salary a year. besides small
fees, and the collections of his office tor
five years have averaged $40 year.
At La Crosse. Wis; Kennebunk, Me-:
Georgetown, S. G.; Beaufort. N. c.: Little
Egg Harbor, N. j.: Nantucket. Mass: Nat
chez, Miss; Port jefferson, n. Y; Tappa-
hammock. Va: Leche La; Yaquina, Ore,
and York, Me, and many other places the
collections absurdly small and the cost
of collection abnormally large
AT iaquina. Ore, the collector receives
a salary of $1,000 a year. and yet his
yearly collections for customs have aver
aged 40 cents. At York. Ne, the average
the collector receives $50 a year salary
and small fees in connection with vessels
The collector in New York city collected
$143 14O.99S in the fiscal year 1902 and his
salary is only sl2,UO year. The total
expenses of his office were s., 159,514