Omaha daily bee., 1907-04-09
NEW CUSTOMS OFFICE RULES
Collectors Allowed to Deposit Receipts in
Iesirnstsd National Parks
RELIEF FROM PRACTICE OF FRONTIER DAYS
Reform Moves slowly, hut Eventually
Catches IN with Its object
and Brings = New
Condition.

Surveyor Of Customs d. II. Barrows re-
ceived Instructions on Saturday from the
United States Treasury department to here
after deposit all revenues received from
customs. as well his disbursing account.
in the United States National bank Of this
city.
In speaking Of the matter Mr. Barrows
said: "This Is the first intimaton we have
received from the department giving any
instructions toward compliance with the
lequirements OF the Aldrich bill passed at
the close Of the last session OF congress.
The customs service were the Last Of the
government officials who were not per-
mitted to do business in an up-to-date way.
The postofice internal revenue and other
heavy handlers Of money used national de-
posltories and made their deposits from
day to day with the utmost ease and con-
venience. We were required to send all
moneys received, and In absolute currency,
, TO the subtreasury at st. Louis by express,
why the LAW Was Framed.
! IAN interesting bit Of ancient history
might be cited in connection with this
| order. The law under which we operated
was an act Of congress Of February, 1876,
| whereby customs officers were required to
deposit the money received by them at
the nearest subtreasury. At that time st.
Louis was an outlying post and 1t was
necessary for the government to mass
money at certain points for the purpose VI
paying Off troops, buying supplies, pay
ing Indian annuities and maintaining i'm
provements grounds and buildings
There was no national currency, little
transportation facilities, no telegraph to
speak Of and actual money was the only
thing the government would recognized
hence in those days gold was the only
legal tender for customs. For sixty years
we have been operating under a law which
applied purely to frontier conditions, and
il is with great satisfaction that We are
enabled at last to handle customs revenue
; in a speedy and convenient manner.
Another Ancient Abuse.
1T would seem the government moves
slowly in reform measures affecting the
conduct of public business. When l was
in the consular service the laws govern
ing the mercantile marine were, with slight
notifications, the same as were created in
the very early days of our history. A
sailor could not be discharged in foreign
port without the eXaction of three months
extrs wages from the owners Of the ship,
one months pay going toward hospital
fund and the other two months wages
: paid to the sailor, so that he could not be
stranded in a foreign country. This Law
4 pore GATE OF ltS0, anu dpplleu 10 COIlultloHs
! . governing a country of 100000 people
where practically every man who shipped
before the mast was an American citizen
and this law was in full force and effect
. In 1876, when we had forty odd millions
= of people and probably one man in twenty
FIVE discharged I'm a foreign port was actu
ally an American citizen. This law affect
" ing the discharge of sailors in a foreign
: port was not modified, amended or changed
" until 1888 when all fees for service and
charges upon the ship were totally abol
shed. But the consular service had beer
{ working for ninety years under law bull
! for the baby clothes of the infant repub
u lie"