The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-05-14
Friday Hdrbor As
A Customs Port

| Any reader of the leading daily pa
pers of the Sound. can obtain the flg-
ures giving the receipts of all GUS
toms ports in this district if he watch
90 for the reports of the collector of
the district. as published monthly.
These reports also show the sources
Of collections and amounts of imports
and exports. In reply to request
OF the editor for statement concern
ing vicious and misleading publica-
tion of the figures of last years re.
ceipts for this port. Deputy Collector
Culver said yesterday:
"Many ports are established
throughout the country for the con-
venience Of business and transporta-
tion interests and the public Rener-
ally, irrespective of the question as
to whether they are likely to be self
supporting. Of the nineteen ports
in this district. which comprises the
entire state. there are number whose
average annual receipts are consider.
ably below the cost of maintenance.
And the same is true in county at
fairs. No good citizen would abol-
ish the Offices of sheriff, or clerk. or re-
duce their salaries, because the amount
of their compensation is far in excess
of the fees collected.
''More than seventy five per cent Of
the receipts of the entire Puget Sound
customs district come through the
port of Seattle. It is only in quite
recent years that the important port
of BellinRham, for instance, has paid
expenses. Seven years ago the re-
fourth the cost of maintenance. The
next year they we're thousands Of dol
lars above the cost and the next they
again fell below the cost. while dur
ing the same year the receipts at this
port were nearly seven times the ex-
pense Of maintenance. For most Of
the duties performed by the officer in
charge here, important though they
are. the government exacts no fees.s
and of course the receipts from duties
collected which are the source Of
more than nine tenths Of the national
revenue from customs. are small. and
doubtless always will be. There were
over fifty foreign entrances and
clearances of vessels here last year.
all paying the fees fixed by law, and
much larger number of launches,
yachts. etc., under FIVE net tons bur.
den, exempt from the payment of
fees, reported. There is perhaps no
port in the district where one man
has more varied duties to perform
than is the case here.
81 have for many years been an ear
nest booster for the town and county.
and / do not like to see either wan
tonly injured by published statements
calculated to convey wrong impress
sions. It is of far more importance
that the customs business of this port
be fostered and the officer in charge
encouraged in every reasonable way
IN the performance of his duty. than
that I remain in the governments
employ.
ssFor the vicious personal criticism
of myself from the one source from
which it has emanated, | care nothing,
for have too much faith in the fair
ness and common sense of the people
of the town and county In general, to
believe that any whose good opinion
is worth having are likely to mistake
the brayink of jackass for voice
crying in the wilderness revealing
any transgression on my part, or that
of my good friends, against the laws
of God or man, or any wrong against
the people.