The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-07-25
FIGURES
WHICH ARE
STARTLING
Costs Uncle Sam ST, 900
to Collect 40 Cents.
CHERRYSTONE PORT
A COSTLY LUXURY
There Are Many Others AL
most Equally as Bad.
RICHMOND CUSTOM
RECEIPTS ARE LARGE
Aggregate Considerably More than.
Those of fNorfoIk and Portsmouth
Combined = Newport News
Leads All Virginia Cities.
but Salaries Seem Out
ofAn Proportion.
RICHMOND CUSTOM
RECEIPTS ARE LARGE
The Times-Dispatch Bureau. K
No. 141T G Street, N. Wa
Washington. D. G.. July oath. 1908.

y
Washington. D. C..gJuly oath. 1908.
The ANNUAL report OF the Auditor for
the Treasury Department. Just Issued,
contains some remarkable facts relative
to the compensation of customs officials.
4 doubt If anything like 1t can bc found
Europe, except possibly, Russia or y ETur-
key
The report shows. among other things,
that the average Of customs receipts
at the port OF Cherystone, Virginia. for
the past five years has been forty cents
a year; the salary Of the collector OF the
port Is $500 per annum; the average adj
ditlonal salary In the form Of fees for
services to American vessels for the past
five years has been sI3564, making the &
total average compensation of the col
lector s935.Gi The total cost Of collect 7.
Ing the forty cents Of revenue every year
is given as $07l.14.
The average yearly receipts at the port
of Tappahannocl for tho past five years
Is given as 31042 the collectors salary
Is $3.50, with additional fees OF $283.46 {
milking IL total compensation of $5l3.46
The expenses of collection are given as
s7G2. TO-
Tho report gives numerous instances
just as striking as the two cited from
Virginia. At the port Of Albemarle. N.
C., for instance. the customs receipts
amount to $3.50 yearly: the collectors
salary is $1,000. with fees amounting to
sos, and the total cost of collection OF
that $1.s0 is Sl.63Les.
The receipts at Beaufort, N. c.. were
s46.8O; the collectors salary Is $1,000, and
an additional compensation from fees
g M So ty,r r111n nNf
year the government had to pay 81 .665.6l
The showing made by Newport News
is marvellous. Tho average OF customs
receipts at the port for the past i've
years Is given as s719. .o97.29. while those
OF Norfolk and Portsmouth combined
were only S31.494.O6. and the average re-
cepts at the port of Richmond for the
past five years were s47,05o.55. Yet. the
collector OF the port of Norfolk received
an average compensation of SS,OoS4s,
while the collector at Newport News re-
ceiyed an average salary of but IS. 29l6o.
and the average salary of the Richmond
collector was only S3oS1a.
1t is doubtful IL one person IN a thou.
sand. or even in ten thousand, knows
that the customs receipts of Richmond
are larger than those OF Norfolk and
Portsmouth combined, and that the re-
celpts ut the port of Newport news
have for the past five years been ~
| times as greNt as those OF Norfolk ana
| Portsmouth Yet the collector OF the
mort of Cherrystone receives about one
| third ms much salary rs the collector OF
tile port of Newport News.
TRADE WITH CHINA.
n requires hut very slight study OF
statistics showing the growth OF our trade
with China IN the last few years to un-
derstand why America Is so deeply inter-
ested In Keeping Manchuria open TO our
merchants. And the growth OF our trade
may explain the unwillingness OF Russia
to continue to allow the free competition
of American goods in the province.
Figures obtained at the Department Of
Commerce to-day show that the exports
To China from the United States the last
fiscal year we're about sl9,OoOWO as
against less than S+0oO,000 In 1898. The eS-
ports III 1902 were even heavier than last
year. and far above those Of 1901 IN Nalue.
as the Boxer uprising was causing much
trouble In China In the latter year, and
the business OF that country was at
standstill
The figure of nineteen millions does NOT
by any means show the total OF our en-
ports to China, as very large proportlon
of the exports to Honskong go 10 emma
also The total of American exports 10
Hongkong in the fiscal year Just ended
amounted to SS,0o0.00D, making the total
of our exports 10 lsnlllh III llle lhs' i'sSo'
wear amount to $27,oo0oOo as against a
total of sS00o,00o In 1898
Figures compiled by the Bureau OF
Statistics OF the Department of Commerce
and Labor show that In the past decade
our trade With Asiatic countries has
Increased at tremendous rate, raster, IN
fact, than with any others, save those OF
Africa. Tho growth of our trade with
China has been a very important factor
in the growth OF our shipments TO Asia.
However. we are still sending more
goods Ia Japan than China In the year
ending June al, 1908. the total value OF our
exports to japan amounted to 2loOpo
as against only 100000 in 1898,
A recent editorial IN The Times-Dis'
patch commented upon the great increase
in the volume OF exports from this coun-
try. and cited the fact as one OF the surest
promises OF the stability OF our national
prosperity More remarkable or signifi-
cant figures could not be obtained than
those quoted above.
GOVERNOR. COMMENDED,
"The disposition 10 criticfse Governor
Montague for his action in calling out
troops TO preserve order in Richmond
during the street car strike IS not AZ
ali general, said Nirginian at tne
Riggs. this morning, He would not al
!, low the use Of his name. y nave pssp ~