The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-04-22
Fashionable Smuggling.

For a number of years past the mer-
chant-tailors of Philadelphia have com
planned of uniform decrease in the
patronage of their Tlsst wealthy custom
ers. The solution of this matter was
and is simply this, that they had trans
ferred to English tailors the trade which
formerly was bestowed at home. By
eluding the vigilance of the customs
officers it is possible to purchase cloth
ing at about so per cent. less in England
than Philadelphia tailors can afford to
sell it. The duties on readymade cloth
ing, together with other charges attendant
upon its importation, very nearly equal
those upon the raw material so that it
would be impossible for private citizen
to purchase his clothing from an English
tailor by order TO any advantage. But
the methods OF evading the payment of
duties on goods of this character are
numerous and easy of adoption A
prominent Chestnut street merchant
states that one Of his customers-a gem
tleman widely known in this city and
State, and generally esteemed-was the
recipient recently of an offer from
famous London house to fill his orders
and deliver clothing in this city at pre-.
cisely the same rates which they charged
Montreal (Canada) firm. To do this re-
| course must be had to smuggling.
This, as we have said, may be
accomplished in many ways; but
the most fashionable is that practiced
| by the European tourist, who, re-
| turning from the Continent, brings with
| him the commissions of relatives and
| friends, and without the slightest twinge
of conscience has them passed by the
| Custom House officer as bls own.
| Thousands of dollars worth of fine
| clothing may thus be sent free OF duty IL
| the course of the year to the fashlonablc
smugglers of Philadelphia, who take
| the ground.rents and interest-moneys OF
Philadelphia tailors to pay their bills to
| London tailors. But scarcely less guilty
| is he who bargains with foreign houses
| for his clothing, conscious that they Will
be sent to him uainvoiced and by the
way of Canada. Bogus emigrants'
| trunks, dishonest appraisers, lying tour
| ists-all conspire, not merely TO cheat the
| Government OF its legal dues but TO rum
| the trade of our merchants and increase
the general depression in business. FROM
the most careful estimates Of our lead
ing tailors the direct loss to the trade In
this city through these smuggling opera
4
| yearly, quite three times that amount IN
| New York, and nearly that in Boston and
Baltimore together. The Merchant Tail
ors' Exchange, which includes nearly all
the principal firms in the trade, numbers
now about sixty houses and represents Il
capital of about 100000 Inquiry
among the members OF this Organization
elicits the fact that nearly all have SUI
fered from the system OF smuggling
| which we have exposed, and tnat lnls
crippling process is steadily on the IN
crease. The case then is briefly this:
| Amount sent by Philadelphia gentlemen oo nm
TO foreign tailors yearly ~
| Amount of unpaid duties ...--...''-.--- 1900
Loes to merchants .--.'.-.-.-.--' -,
Loss to the Government .........--'-.-' ~eo'oo'
1t is useless in the face of these facts
to characterize the action which we nave
described as il deserves. what IS true
of this single mercantile interest Is lf9e
of all the rest. Our most fashionable
teams are decked out in sniuggled mar
ness, our ladies are arrayed IN smuggleu
silks and laces and jewelry. Some OF
our stateliest drawing-rooms SHINE Win
snuggled carpets and smuggied iufni-
ture: the costliest sideboards are Iur-
nished with smuggled WINS and
smuggled cigars. Everything serves, Tor
the Atlantic Ocean is almost bridged
with steamers and across it more people
. 90 in the course of year than nity
wears ago crossed the Alleghenies.
| teen steamers sail from our ports ~eeh- td
| ly, carrying in twelve months nearly 4V,-
90 cabin passengers and draining this
country yearly of SAC, ,ooo, 900 in gold, for
which there is no return TO our mechan-
les. our manufacturers, or our tradesmen.
And Philadelphia is at the mercy of this
smuggling and these smugglers, who,
having exhausted their city of her pro-
ductive power, are well content to leave
her sterile.-Phtsadelphta Times.