Year: 1859

sTFvEDORsNG AND LsGurERAGE.


Ii Is not necessary, We presume To s"gge-t to
the merchants Of this city that Il ls well f1r them
to look sharp after their own interests as neither.
from uaDt Of enterprise ~ excess Of modesty, are
they likely to fall into sDy neglect OF that sort But
they have been. for three or four years past tue
sufferers from the exactiOns Of the Health Office
at Quarantine. they hardly use toe much vigil
alec in guarding ss far Ms hes in their power,
against the possibility Of any such wrong in future
The Chamber Of Commerce, we believe. is fully
alive to this Necessity; but il will BE- we'll if the
public septmt nj Of the whole mercantile commu-
uity sh.ll second their efforts.


1t is not likely to be forgotten that it cost more
last year 10 get cargo of sugar from Staten
Island to New York, than II did 10 bring Il from
Cuba to Staten lsland that the passengers brought
from qu.rsptiDed ships were charged dollar a
head; that basket OF provision sent To the ship
Was paid for at the same rate; that ship though
she might be- loaded with salt had TO be- fumigated
by lighting bit of paper between decks. at
chsrge of six dollars; that before steyedore
broke bulk for discharging. be deminded that the
bills for the work. not yet begun. should be
certified by the captain as correct; that In
short the lghterage and steSedore cnargrs which
went to swell the fees of the Health Ohcer, 80
that his office was worth pecuniarily at least
four or five times as much as that OF the
President of the United States. were always
from one hundred and fifty to two hundred per
cent higher than the ORDINARY price Of such ser
vice. aud for which responsible men would have
been glad to render it. But IA corruption has
come "a be- considered the normal condition OF pub
lie Office in aud about thus city, aud what is called
official dut, is considered only another for an
official job il Is not impossible that the merchants
conclude that it is utterly absurd to expect any


thing else but exaction and utterly useless To labor
for any thing else in this particular department OF
the public service.


The present Health Officer We believe TO BE- a
thoroughly honest man VINO neither wants nor
means to take any oher than the Legitimate fees of
bi, Office But other th,n l. gitimate tees-legiti-
mate, We mean, in the sense of honest and fair
may be TAKEN by other officials connected with the
Qua,an DIR. Gum, We think, vas dl-advised
10 allottpg the lighterge ard stevedsrhg business
to u single firm, without offering it 70 public com
petition; but we presume he was merely ill-ad-
vi.ea The firm who appealed to the Board of
Henl,h-upder Quarantine law which give. such
right of appeal TO an, party considering itself ag-
srey.d by the Health OHicer-d'd good thing,
We hope, for the public, though that was not the
motive OF the appealing party. IL monopoly
Of the business Of stevedoring and lighterage for
infected ships liz To- be given to any party without
sry pubic compeutior, We had quite as lief OF
not good deal ratber) that the appointing power
should be IN tie hands of DR.. Gum, 10 the hands
of the Mayor aod the Commissioners Of Health.
But we agree with tbe Chamber of Commerce.
Who step in at this uncture. Dr.. Gum appoints
CERTAIN persons to Do this work, without throwing
il open 10 public competition. Another party who
wanted IT, appeal to the Board, and that body
without any offer of the business to the lowest
bidder, put DR.. Gums men out, aud their
Own IN; and finally, we believe, the mat
ter is compromised BY m agreement to divide
the spos-hterally the spoils Of the merchants
Then comes the Chamber Of Commerce, and says:
Why not give the business 10 the men who will do it
at the lowest rate, subject, Of course, to such
regulations the Health Officer may deem proper
Why not 1t is reasonable question Why
should the merchants be compelled to pay exor-
bitant and rDinous fees their quaran'ined ships,
that one or two political favoItes may make for
tune out of a monopoly The fair thing is to
offer the service to The public aud let those have it
VITO will undertake it at remuneratiye rates for
themselves, and rates which reasonable merchants
who consider the risk and the extra labor think
that they are willing to pay, and to which the other
party are fairly entitled. Ifsoch an arrangement
be- made the last difficulty in regard to this sexed
Quarantine question will be done away with, and
one branch Of the public service be put upon an
honest and honorable footing.