Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-12-23
FROM 10 TO FOUR.
Continued from Page One.)

would give it a good chance of be-
coming law. 1t could not be fought
as effectively in the Senate under
such tactics and the Democrats may
thus force It's enactment into law.
That is their present plan
The bill has not been put into its
final form yet, but the purpose is to
max" four collection districts in
Maine. These would be the districts
of Aroostook, including most of Aroos-
took county with Houlton as the
| place Of residence Of the collector, and
| Fort Fairfield, Mars HILL Van Buren,,
Madawaska, Monticello. Limestone.
Fort Kent and Bridgewater as sub
ports of entry; Passamaquoddy, in.
| Guiding much of Washington county,
with PASSPORT as the residence of the
| collector, and Machias Calais and Luz
| bee as SUPPORTS of entry; Portland.
covering the counties of Lincoln. Ken
| nebec, Sagadahoc. Cumberland, An
| droscoggin, and parts of Franklin
and YORK, with Bath, Wiscasset and
Boothhay Harbor as supports of en-
| try; and, fourth, Bangor, covering all
| the rest of the State, except por-
ton of York county which goes into
q New Hampshire collection district.
with Bangor as the port Of entry and
| Ellsworth. Mount Desert Ferry,
| Bueksport, Vanceboro. Lowelltown,
| Rockland, Belsat, Castine. Vinal
Haven and Camden, as sub-por of
entry.
| 1t is proposed that all collectors
should be paid straight salaries. All
the fees, commissions and other forms
of compensation that now prevai, in
considerable variety would be abol-
| ished. Instead of the numerous collec
tors in other ports of Maine. at pres
ent, exception Portland Bangor, East
| port and Houlton, there will be only
| deputy collectors or perhaps no Off
cials at all. In some places customs
| officials would be detailed on occa-
sioHs as there might be need of their
| services.
| Maine would be hit hardest of any
of the states in the proposed re-or-
| ganlzation While the salaries of the
collectors at Portland, Bangor, Houl-
ton and PASSPORT would not be re-
| duced and might be increased some
| what, the amount of money paid for
| customs services at some other Maine
ports would be considerably decreased.
/
as well as in other parts of the coun-
| try, make a pretty penny out of the
| sale ofsblank manifests. The law al
lows them to sell these manifests
| which must be provided for every
| separate shipment of goods crossing
| the international boundary, and to-
| charge 10 cents each therefor At
some of the larger ports the receipts
81 n
able sums, nearly ali of which is
clear profit that goes into the collec
| tors pocket. 1t is entirely legal I'M
der the existing statutes, but there is
nothing which requires the collectors
to report to the treasury department
how much money they obtain. Con-
siderable complaint is also made by
the treasury officials because it is not
always easy to obtain reports from
the collectors at small ports. This
does not apply particularly to Maine,
but, as under the new arrangement,
the deputy collectors in charge of col
lections, would be responsible to the
collectors at the big ports, treasury
officials reason that there would be
much more dispatch in disposing iof
official business.
SeNoTal OF the Maine ctlStoiiIS ulS-
tricts have been in existence from the
very foundation of the government.
That of Machias was created by a
Congressional statute, approved by
President John Adams March 2, 1893.
The district of Frenchman's Bay
Castine and Waldoboro which II is
proposed to consolidate with the Dis
trict of Bangor. were created on the
same date while the District of Bel
fast, which would also go into the
District OF Bangor, was created April
90 1913, toward the close of the first
administration of President James
Monroe.
In this crusade for the reorganiza-
ton of customs districts over the
country much has been made of the
cost of collecting 81 at various ports.
Il NV irCt devised