Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-13

ury Department that investigations recently
made show that more than 1000. 600 people in
the United States have the habit in degree
more or less confirmed. The vice in question.
unlike that of alcohol, is easy to be kept secret
and there are very many persons known to
nearly every one who are unsupported victims
to IT, In New England the evil is MARKEDLY
prevalent. 1t Is estimated that the auantity OF
opium utilized in this country for medicinal pur-
poses YEARLY Is 10000 pounds: the remaining
this statement seems incredible ask any reli-
able apothecary.
OVER THE BORDER
Now, Of this great quantity imported annu-
ally not less than 10000 pounds are prepared
for market in Victoria and other parts of Brit
in Columbia and smuggled across the northern
frontier into the United States. In that prov
inee there fourteen fifteen factories
which do nothing else bit manufacture the
drug for Illicit CONVEYANCE across the border
So profitable Is the traffic that hundreds of
thousands of dollars of capital are at present
invested in it, There in San Prsich~o.
which Is capitaizing center Tor the industry
described. many men who are publicly known
to have acquired the great fortunes they at
present enjoy in this way.
As things now there is no possibility of
putting a stop to- the opium smuggling traffic
or even OF imped;nS IT tn any great extent. To
adequately enforce the law il would be neces-
sary To employ an actual army of inspectors.
which should extend a Gordon along both the
northern and southern frontiers. Furthermore
it Ii asserted that the extra 81 of duty put upon
prepared opium by the law passed during this
Congress simply means S2 per pound in the
pockets of the smugglers. In 1885, when the
tariff on the commodity was 81 a pound duty
was paid on 29s 900 pounds imported into the
United States. but when. in 1855 the tariff was
raised to 40 pound, only 10000 pounds paid
duty during the ensuing year. What did this
mean: Certainly not that the consumption of
opium became less. On the contrary. it had
grown. as IT has since kept ON increasing. The
solution OF the problem Wac simply that. the
price being made 50 great. it had become worth
while to invest large capital and to smuggle
opium big scale. On top Of that an extra
81 was added during the present year to the
tariff on the article. and the illicit traders are
resping precisely that amount of additional
gain upon each pound they succeed in getting
across the frontier.
LITTLE RISK.
Whereas there is great profit in the prosecu-
hon of this smuggling business. there is COM
paratively little trouble involved and hardly
any risk. The occasional capture of shipments
BY customs officers scarcely affects the enor-
nous gains secured. of the 100 900 pounds
prepared in British Columbia not 100 bounds
are made to pay a cents worth of duty. The
factories over the border procure their raw
opium from China. paving n duty of only II
pound on IT, III by bringing il into the United
the case under the present law-:I1 a pound
there u obviously enough money in the bust
ness Of so transporting il to be "a great .empta-
ton Thus IL IL that not only individuals but
great syndicates engaged at present in the
traffic. which may fairly be considered one of
the most lucrative Industries imaginable. The
opium turned out by the factories is shipped
along the Canadian Pacific railway To anv con-
venient point a. far east as Quebec and as far
west as Winnipeg. Having been secretly con-
veyed over the line the precious merchandise
L. mostly forwarded 10 San Francisco where
the greater part of j. is sold to the Chinese
All the cities of importance in the country
however, have big demand for opium.
Wherever the Chinese have gone they have in
roduced the vice of smoking il. In all the
eastern centers of population there are numer-
Gus Joints devoted to the practice of
the habit-and the big western towns this side
OF San Francisco. particularly Chicago, have
become infested by this toxic affection Of the
orient It is feared that this is becoming a
nation Of opium smokers. The evil which holds
Asaa In Its grasp threatens to embrace America.
A RExARKABLE CASE.
As for the DANCE involved in the smuggling of
opium from the British possessions, it amounts
to little or nothing. The usual way is for the
persons who conduct the traffic to conduct their
operations from the Canada side where our
customs officers have no power to arrest or
modest them At the Treasury Department
The STAR man learned the details Of q remark
able case which occurred few years ago in the
Fort Townsend district on the west coast Of
which a man named Gardner-a most able,
sadaeious and INSCRIPTIONS individua,-was
chief inspector. IL was charged at the time,
whether truly or not, that he and the collector
for the district, Herbert +. Beecher, son of
Henry Ward, acted in collision At all
events. on one occasion four trunks came into
Seattle, Wash, checked 10 Portland. Greg. The
inspector at Seattle suspected that they con-
tanned opium and followed them up, telegraph
ing ahead that they should be detained at a
certain place where 1t necessary that
they should change cars. Gardner, who
was Interested in the consignment. being noti-
ned OF the action taken. started in pursuit of
the trunks also and arrived ahead Of his sub
ordinate He ordered that the trunks should
De sent on TO their destination and, when the
station master objected On the ground that
they had been ordered detained because they
were suspected to contain opium. he promptly
replied: IF that is the case / seize them. I
am chef Inspector and they must be given up
70 me- Ihis MAS done and Gardner took the
trunks with him to Tacoma, disposed Of the
opium and reported to his superiors that he
had found in the boxes only dummy pack
ages OF tar and other stun made up To initiate
the drug This ruse not only saved the opium
from coniscation. but incidentally cheated the
subordinate inspector out OF % per cent on the
capture Of go, 600 worth of unlawful merchan-
disc
SUBSEQUENT INCIDENT,
however, exhibited even more markedly the
marvellous resources Of this man Gardner.
aver he was removed from Office he took up
tne business Of smuggling in private capacity.
In 1875 he was caught with a sleigh load of
0Pilm near Gouverneur. y. Y, and arrested.
Nhile ous on bail during the pending Of his
case ne actually got up conspiracy with GER
IAN ofhclals IN the custom house at Ogdens-
Durg TO steal the captured opium from the Gus
tom house IL the plan had succeeded the
opium would not only have been saved, but no
evidence against himself would have remained.
Ior tne scheme Was to substitute for the opium
as many cans of like size and appearance. con-
tanning SIMPLY blocks of wood. These bogus
oPnn cans were contracted for and manufact-
orsu, but the plot fell through and that is the
reason Why Gardner is now serving a ten wears
Term IN sing Sing. The safe side il need hardly
Do Sid- n the Canada side Put IN the can't
tAi- drect operations from over there hire
S.ess 70 take the risks and you are sure of .
10 RENDER II UNPRoFrrABLE.
customs officials strongly recommend a re-
form In the tariff on opium. They saw that
tnsre Il no possible way 10 put a stop to the
smuggling; The only sure plan is to render il
9nProntaoie. As the case now stands the more
GUY Is put on the article the greater il the pro-
ny ootAnen from the trafke In fact the srnug-
ger Is the only one who gains There is no
opium nianuiaet turing industry in this country
What then. II y claimed N the tariff intended
70 proseeE The remedy sugyessed IL that