The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-02-02

department.; and many Of the persons
fers were never entirely satisfied with
the result.
| Under the new conditions the work
Of the administration has actually
grown more cumbersome where it was
supposed it would be simplified, and it
has caused ill-feeling and disputes in
is one example:
Disputes Are Frequent.
! The bureau of navigation was trans
ferred from the treasury to the depart
| ment of commerce. The change was
| criticised at the time it was made, for
| it was declared that this bureau was
| intimately and inseparabiy concerned
| With the administration Of the treasury
| department. But somebody in author
| ity evidently happened to think that
navigation meant commerce" de-
partment. Disputes have been frequent.
The department of commerce Off
rials declare that invoices Of duitable
goods brought into a port Of the United
states are under the Jurisdiction of that
department until the ship has been Of
icial1y entered at the port in Ques-
don. \ merchant ship arriving in
Dort is allowed twenty four hours in
which to enter" In case the master
# the vessel decides not to remain
he ship may leave within twenty four
hours without the formaity Of entering
II clearing.
The treasury department holds that
lutiable goods arriving in port on a
merchant ship are under the jurisdc-
ion of the customs officers of that de
'artment as soon as the vessel arrives
Without waiting for her to officially
inter- The department of commerce
says the trcasurys jurisdiction does
rot begin for twenty four hours. Ac
cording to long practice, however. ships
approaching ports are regarded by
treasury officials as being under their
Jurisdiction Immediately.
Meet Ships On Voyage
Customs officers: in fact, often go
)ut as far as twelve miles to meet in
'oming steamers. and are authorized
Under the law to do so. They declare. |
however that it is an anomalous con-
Iition which provides on the one hand
hat the ship is under the jurisdiction
II the department of commerce. and on
he other hand that it is under the au-
thority Of the treasury department. |
The difficulty arises wholly from the |
claims of the department of COM |
merce, which. some of the treasury Of |
ticialS say. are extremely preSunptu- !
Gus.
There is something more than senti- |
ment involved in the matter. The Gus |
toms officers are employed to collect |
and to protect the revenues. They de- |
clare that the danger of smuggling |
and other frauds on the revenue are !
increased by the claims Of the depart
ment of commerce that Il vessel arriv-
ing in port does not pass under the
jurisdictionof the customs officers un-
til she has actually "entered." They
predict that, under this SYSTEM the
twenty fourth hour privilege will be
abused by tramp steamers and miscel-
aneous craft not belonging to regular
lines.
There is already At good deal Of talk !
If transferring the bureau Of naviga-
ton back to the treasuary department. |
The present situation. the treasury Of !
iicials say is intolerable There is a |
proposition, also, to ask congress to au-
thoriZe the transfer of the life Saving |
service to the department of commerce. |
| Why this was not done in the first
place is hard to explain. This ser
vice has absolutely no connection with
the treasury department, except the
| nominal one, but it certainly is con-
| cerned in the protection of commerce.
The revenue cutter service may be
| transferred from the treasury depart
This service is engaged in life saving
! work. in relieving distressed steamers
| and in other services which largely out
| weigh its operations in protecting the
| revenues
|