The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1889-02-18

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done hcrcy The Java sugar i'm
ported at San Francisco was of such .
high grade that it was found to be
subject to a duty of 23 cents, in
stead of l.92 cents per pound. This
is a very material difference, and
one would think that the parties
taking oath at the San Francisco
Custom House as to its quality might
to advantage be prosecuted for per-
jury, if for nothing else.
Nobody will believe that the
manufacturers in Java had purposely
gone TO the trouble of coloring their
sugar without the knowledge of the
trust refinery 50 that the latter
might obtain q large pecuniary bene-
fit through the non.payment of the
legitimate amount of duties. If the
discovery of the fraud had not been
made by the San Francisco APP
praiser, will anybody believe that
the importers would have subse-
quently made good the S62,OOO
difference in duties? AS Java sugar
has been imported ut New York, is
there not fair ground for assuming
that similar course of procedure
might have been adopted here, es-
pecially as it is stated that sugar
frauds have existed in New y Gork,
where the trust is almost the eXclu-
sive importer? An illegal combina-
tion is not likely to stick at tritles
where millions of dollars are con-
cerned.
A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT.
"In this connection it may be
pointed out, for the information of
the Secretary of the Treasury, that
the CollectorOf the port of San Fran
cisco has established most danger
Gus precedent. After learning,
through the report of the govern
ment chemist, that an attempt had
| been made to dcfraud the revenue
he returned the merchandise to the
importers upon payment of the adj
dtonal duty, instead of conliscat-
ing it, as he might have done by law
This leaves the door open for u sue
cession of frauds. An importer can
now undervalue his goods or salt
his invoices, and if discovered he
need only pay the additional duty.
If not discovered then he saves this
amount, puts it in his pocket and
robs the revenue. Under the Col
lcctor's ruling the importer has nc
fear of the punishment, by loss OF
goods or otherwise, if discovered in
fraud.
"The alertness of the appraiser
department at San Francisco was
spoiled by bluff from the trust re.
fnery there which threatened the
Collector with u lawsuit if he die
not deliver up the cargo of sugar
The Collector weakened, notwith
standing the fact that the Specia
Agent of the Treasury at San Fran
cisco advised the seizure and con
demnation of the cargo.
SEIZE THE IMPORTATION.
"To overcome the evil effects o
the Collectors decision in this cas-
Secretary Farchld would do well t.
give definite ruling as to the dis
position of all importations, whethe
sugar or other merchandise, wher
: fraud has been perpetrated or at
tempted. The goods should not
!, returned to the importer and h
should not be permitted TO go sec
t free.
"It will not surprise me in tn
least to learn that the investigation
, now being made in the Appraiser
Department will show that the suga
swindIe, as attempted in San Fran
l cisco, has been successfully carrie
| out in New York. If samples {
, sugar importations remain on han
let them be carefully analyzed an
+ the results compared with the swor
: invoice values as entered at til
g Custom House"
e The San Francisco Report {
5 February Sth says that, at NEE
e ing of the Tammany Society of Sa
Francisco "a very interesting repo
was received from r. B. Mitchell
r the counsel employed by the Tan
many Society to cooperate with IL
Acknowledgement to bring suit f(
. the forfeiture Of the franchises
!, such sugar retinerics as had becon
d amalgamated with the trust. III
q report was TO the effect that the su
: had been brought in the Superic
e Court upon the relation of the Alto
+ ney-General against the America
Sugar Refinery Company, which
l. the only corporation on this Goa
c that has become consolidated wi
d the trust; that the case would be
l. issue in few days, and that Il
q People were ready for trial.
q "Since the commencement Of u
|, suit Judge Barrett of the Supren
Is Court of the State of New York hi
rnnl arn1 u .arNy Inarnnl IariCipp