Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-07-09
Smuggling Fashionable Partisan TOi-
lets Into the United States.

THERE was slight fiuttcr at the Custom
House day before yesterday. A box from
Europe, sent overland in bond in the usual
form, passed through the hands of pre-
liminary officials and came duly under the
inspection of the Appraiser That gentle.
man had the cover removed and looked
into IT, After removing several intcgu-
ments Of wrapping and tissue paper his
eyes lighted upon ravishing pink silk
that would make % sensation in the finest
drawingroom in the city. He looked
again at the invoice and again at the silk
10 satisfy himself that his eyes did not de
cciyc him. The two did not seem to
correspond. It was apparent that the
goods were undcrrated
The bill was from one ofthe most fash
ionablc millinery establishments of Paris.
He glanced at the direction on the box,
and read the name Ofa prominent banker
of San Francisco. Getting curious about
the matter, he sent out and secured the
services of two dry-goods and feminine
| drapcry sharps, who are Interested in the
| two leading dry-goods houses of the city.
These gentlemen examined the contents OF
the package, and found them 10 consist of
| a complete bridal outfit. There were be-
sides the wedding-dTesses ball-dresses,
| house e-dresses strCct-drcsses, carriage
|
with perfect little loves of bonnets" to
match, and all the mysterious parapher-
MALTA of feminine attire. The dTapery
sharps lost their breuth in establishment
and admiration. When they regained il
they began to.eomparo- the invoiced value
| of the goods with their real value A pink
| silk dress was valued at 500 francs; the
drapcry sharps said il was worth at least
800 The other dresses were under
valued by the invoice in n still larger pro
portion. The loves of bOnncts were put
down at forty francs, and were worth no
| less than 100. The aggregate valuation on
the invoice, which was based on the mil
| liners bill, was G,300 francs, when it
should have been at least 1S 20, and was
| fixed by the appraisers at tn y sum. The
dry-goods experts retired to their stores,
and the Custom House officials neld secret
cOnclavesto see what should be done. The
penalty prescribed by The RcTcnue laws In
a case of undervaluation extends TO 1hc
| goods, which are cOnhscated and sold by
the Government. acss "a
The duty ON this kind of goods is 60 per
cent ad valOrem. In case of an attempt
to dcfraud the revenue, such as appeared
to have been made in this case, 20 per
cent. additional is imposed, and in case of
confiscation the owner can only get the
goods by paying the appraised value, the
60 per cent original duty and the 20 per
cent. penalty. But in this case the Gus
tom-House authorities, on being inter
viewed by the banker To whom the goods
were consigned, were satisfied that he had
not knowingly been a party TO the attempt
cd fraud, and consented 90 allow him to
take the goods on paying the regular duty
and the 20 per cent. additional. The
banker quickly drew his check for the
amount, and the lady owner is now sport
ing the gorgeous attire and turning the
hearts of uppcrtcndom green with envy.
1t was claimed by the owner and consignee
of the goods that the feathers and other
trimmings were bought by them in Paris,
and that the invoice was based on the cost
of the raw material without regard to the
cost of manufacture. They disclaimed
any intention of dcfrauding the customs.
On the other hand, the leading importing
and manufacturing dry-goods houses COM
plain that there are quite Il number of
wealthy citizens here who habitually i'm
port their dresses and millinery from Paris
ON undervalued invoices, while the reg
ular houses have to pay the regular duty
Of 60 per cent on the full value of their
goods imported from Europe.-iSdn Fran
cisco Chronicle.