Evening journal., 1913-02-01
WILL FIGHT
TO SAVE CITY
ENTRY PORT
Business Interests Will Pro-
test Plan That Would Give
Baltimore Great Advantage
WILMINGTON OFFICE
ALREADY PROFITABLE

According to a newspaper dispatch
received here today from Baltimore,
Md. there is "a scheme under way by
which The Treasury Department at
Washington. intends to reorganize the
entire customs service, and the port
OF entry of Wilmington, IT Is set forth,
together With the port at Georgetown,
ID c., are TO be abolished MS individual
ports and be attached to Baltimore
so that a new district including Della
ware, tho District of Columbia ana
Maryland can be created.
This was decided news to those in
terested in The welfare of the Will
mingtou port today and shat such a
move viii be vigorously fought from
the Delaware END is q foregone con-
ciusion
10 is understood that the object OF
consolidating a number OF the Offices
OF ports of entry is to save expense
by gathering as many of these Offices
into one district that cost the govern
mcnt more for salaries than they con-
tribute in revenues from custom fees.
Wilmington cannot be classed with
such ports Of entry" said Special De
putty Collector Of Port Daniel B. Jones
today I'M the absence OF Collector
Harry Raymond. "if there is any
thing TO be gained by consolidating
this Office with another it surely
would not be with Baltimore. Il
would be Philadelphia by an odds as
that city It's ON a line with Whining
ton and on the Delaware river on
which most of the imports consigned
10 this city are carried TO Philadei-
phia That city and New York are
the ports of arrival for imported
goods consigned to Wilmington, only
ono or two entries being received
here from Baltimore in a year. uo
not believe. however, that there viii
be any change ln the first place IL
Is the only port of entry In Delaware
and both the city and the state would
fight hard before allowing it be at
tached to some other Office Moro
over Delawarc's Congressional dele
cation in Washington would not stand
hy and allow such q change TO take
place without objection.
zone of the best assests of this
port, said MIR. Jones, us the fact that
ii is on a splendid paying basis and
IS rated as one of the best ports Of
entry in cities Of its side in the
country
"The collections for December in
1912 reached Sl0.9S3 with expenses
but S97O7S and in the month just
ended the collections aggregated
S10,0S7.7S with expenses of only
$50 The present month although
with not as many days as the two
preceding months. will make even a
better showing. 4
There are eight men in the en-
pl0y of the Custom Service i'm Della
ware four including the collector
OF ports I'm Wilmington. three at Lewes
and one at Scaford Tho last named
receives but a nominal wage. AZ
Lewes no revenue is received. the
branch Of the Wilmington Office kept
there being maintained only 70 pre-
vent smuggling So far as Baltimore
is concerned I'm our business. we don't
know that city is on the map.
"The business of the Wilmington
Office has been steadily growing foi
the past few years and continues
growing the local business houses an6
manufacturers learning every day thai
thcy can have their imporiations en-
tered through the local office viii
more satisfaction than other cities
7 suppose also that city and state
pride has something TO do with it, bu
whatever &c is, Wilmington Is becom
Ing an important port Of entry As
example Of this is shown by the re
ceipts of the local Office during the
six months ending December 81 last
the first six months of the presen
year In that period there was col
locted IN duties and tonnage the lat
ter forming a very small percentage
OF the total amount received, the sun
of S31 ,443.53. The expenses in col
lecting this sum aggregated S4.169 AZ
Not many years ago the receipts OF th'
Office from duties did not amount t
anything like this amount
These figures show how impor
tant Wilmington Is becoming as a por
and with its removal viii go much o