The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-06-12
FIGHT TO RETAIN
COLLECTOR HERE
Scnatc's Vote to Delay Rcorgan-
ization OF Customs Service
RencWs Struggle.


The passage on Tuesday by the SEN
ate of the bill to delay until January |.
1914. the country wide reorganization of
the United States customs service has
aroused the Chamber OF Commerce com
mittee on outward trade TO renewed
efforts to keep the collectorship of Gus
toms In Richmond. and to prevent
Richmond from being made a subsi
diary port under the supervision OF
Norfolk, as planned by the Secretary
of the Treasury recently. The com
mittee has been promised a hearing in
behalf OF Richmond If the House Com
mittce on Ways and Means reopens the
reorganization plan for discussion
Under the scheme of rcdistricting
the customs service announced by
President Taft on March 3, the l55
collectorships were to be reduced to
forty-nine. the other III ports being
brought under the jurisdiction OF the
! forty In such n way as 70 guar
antcc an annual saving of S350G00 in
the operating expense OF the service
Nlthough the port of Richmond col
!ects customs more than twic,. the com
pined collections OF all othcr ports IN
The state. Norfolk succeeded In vim
ming the col .ectorship of Virginia I'M
DER the REPRESENTATION plan
To Make strong Protest
Vigorous protest against What is
called an injustice TO Richmond was
made by the Chamber OF Commerce and
other commercial bodies of the city.
but Norfolk had already come off vic
! torious by getting an early start fer
the plum. and the Richmond delegation
G, nj a1 l. \, ~
of the Treasury Richmond then
found itself in the position OF being
tho largest port. yet having deputy
collector in charge under the super
vision OF the collector AT Norfolk
The injustice of the situation has
! been called TO the attention of Con
gress in a set OF resolutions passed by
the Chamber of Commerce and sent to
every member of both houses. 1t is set
forth in the resolutions that the pro-
posed reorganization Will not only
work hardship To many large i'm,
porters in this city. but will fail to
secure the increase in economy desired
| for the reason that the Richmond mort
has been making collections In the past
thirteen times cheaper than the Nor
iolk Portsmouth district
Figures Tint Tnlk.
This port, together with that OF
petersburg" says the resolution. has
been made subordinate to a district 10
he composed Of Norfolk and Ncwnort
News. although collections at Rich
mond tnow amounting to S73l0iS RI
for the fiscal year ended June so. 1917
which for the current wear will at
least aggregate $1,000, GOO. and from
present indications are confidently ex-
pected 10 be approximately $1,000. OO0
Tor The fiscal year 1910 arc over 81
per cent in excess OF the aggregate
collections OF Norfolk. Portsmouth.
Mn No,
amounting In all TO only $j92TO6O2)
and these collections at Richmond are
made at cost. per dollar collected OF
Sol', about six and one-hnlf times as
cheap as the average of the other three
districts named (Which is SOLID. and
thirteen times as cheap as at the
present Norfolk Portsmouth district
s.222). which. with Newport News
has been selected TO be the only GUS
toms district in Virginia"
The chambers argument for tue re-
scinding Of the reorganization scheme
is strengthened by the statement thaI
the estimated expense of operating the
service under the revision Will be
S23l,166.0l in excess OF the SlO.l5OO 900
provided by the bin for reorganization
The chamber committee. which will at
tempt to overturn the contemplated
reorganization. consists OF John t. Pin
der. chairman; Charles i. Lee T. X
' iNtOi anu ~ y. i'uIioD SttTtiHTy.
Delay Thought Permanent
The Impression in Richmond grows
that this delay of six months Just voted
by the Senate virtually means that
Congress has rccOnsidcred its former
resolve 10 eliminate III fat political
plums in the shape OF collcctorships or
customs. II is believed that the delay
was counselcd by Secretary McAdoo in
order to allow tho secretary time to
propose n substitute measure to lay
before the next session OF Congress. Il
measure which will bc a modification
OF the wholesale character OF the pres
cnt bill. 1t is conceded that the House
of Representatives. will agree TO the
sccretarys request for postponemcut
of the reorganization.
Collector B. Il. Arnold. who had pre-
pared to relinquish tho rens OF office
in Richmond on July l, will continue
In command OF the port ut least until
January l. 1914 Unless the depart
ment departs from its announced pol
icy. he will be allowed to serve out his
commission. which expires on March
/. 1914.