The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-01-14
WHY AND HOW FRIDAY tiARBOR
WAS MADE A SUPPORT OF ENTRY

At the first meeting of the CONNER
cial Club committee consisting o1
President Templin. S. M. Bugge, anc
q. Il. Baker was appointed to call up
on the publishers of the Friday Har
Dor journal and request them to ceas,
their long continued and utterly In
excusable knocking of the Custom:
house at this port. At the meeting
held at the secretary's Office Monday
evening one of the publishers of The
Journal was present and the presiden,
informed him. in a very positive
though eentlemanly manner, OF the
action that had been taken and re.
ceived his assurance that the papers
criticisms would cease.
Because of the relationship of the
publisher of the islander to the dep
ury collector in charge at this port
the islander has long refrained from
making any reply to the statements
concerning customs business here
which its contemporary has seen f1t to
publish. Believing. however, that q
few facts concerning the history of the
port and it's business would be of in
terest to the public and possibly re-
move some false impressions, the ed
itor urged Deputy Collector Culver
to make some statement of this kind
which he rather reluctantly consented
to do. with the express understanding
that be does so in the interest of the
town solely. He says:
Friday Hsrbor was made q sub
port or entry by order of the secre-
tary of the treasury about the mid
die of October. 1900. and the
Office was opened for business on the
first day of November of that year.
The secretary's order of establish
ment was issued few weeks after the
salary of the Office at Roche Har-
bor-- one of the oldest supports in
be district. had been cut from $1,000
to yo3B0 per year. No resident of
Friday Harbor. so far as l know. had
the slightest intimatlon that this
place was to be made SUPPORT. the
action having been taken solely te.
cause the then collector of the ais
trict, the late Col. F. D. Hustis. and
the Treasury Department, deemed it's
establishment advisable to facilitate
the enforcement of the customs aud
navigation laws and better serve the
convenience of the people at the coun
ty's chief center of trade. 1t was not
anticipated that the receipts of the
Office would ever amount to mnch.
there being few dutiable importa-
tions here. but as a matter of fact the
receipts have been much more than
was expected. aggreRating between
$4,000 and $4,000. not including the
proceeds of sales of smuggled goods
nfiscated-wool. opium aud hides
etc. There have been nearly $50
foreign entrances and clearances of
registered vessels, many coastwise
entrances and clearances of vessels
going to and returning from Alaska.
(no fees being charged in such cases)
and hundreds of reports of small craft
passing to and from British Colum-
bia waters, without payment of fees:
There have been quite number Of
dutiabie entrees, the duties collected
amounting to over $1,000; a much
larger number of free entries; scores
of changes of masters and renewals
of documents for which no fees are
charged a number of important ar
rests and seizures; many admeasure-
ments of new vessels, without revenue
to the government. and numerous
other duties performed to facilitate
trade and serve the convenience of
vessel owners. business men, farmers
and the general public.
"If the. net cost of maintenance
we're borne by the people of the coun
ty. instead of by the federal Rovern
ment. it would amount to only one
eighth of one per cent per capita. or
one cent in eight years for each citi-
zen. The benefits resulting from the
Office have been far greater than many
people realize. In addition to the
very great convenience which it has
afforded to all who have bad official
business with the Office, 1t has been
the means of bringing here for invest
ment and expenditure many thousands
of dollars. nearly all of which has
gone directly into the channels of To-
cal trade. have personally expended
here very much more than have re-
ceived from the governmental have
given all the aid and encouragement
in my power to every project which
has given promise of improving the
moral or material welfare Of the COM
munity or the county.
III ought to be obvious to every