Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-11-20
OPIUM AND CHINAMEN.
Dimculty Of Excluding Them From the ca.
madam Border.

Dimculty Of Excluding Them From the Ca
madam Border.
Supervising Special Agent Tingle, in his an
nual report to the Secretary Of the Treasury,
calls attention to the great prevalence Of SNUG
Cling over the Canadian borders and the enor-
nous difficulty of the task of preventing the
traffic. He says: Railways running parallel
on both sides of the boundary line, intersected
by other railways crossing the line, have
brought with them population and constant
communication between the two countries.
There are but four collection districts upon the
northern frontier between the Lake Of the
Woods and the Pacific ocean, a distance Of
about LOO miles, each district embracing
large territory. The number of officers for
preventive duty upon this long line of frontier
does not exceed twenty, and the. present GUS
toms appropriations will not admit Of any ma
terial increase Of this force. Although these
officers are active and vigilant, making fire.
quent captures Of smuggled goods chiefly
opium, il is apparen. that their efforts to pre-
vent smuggling are, in q large degree, futile.
A similar condition Of affairs exists upon the
long boundary line between the United States
and Mexico.
The district of Puget sound, comprising
many islands within q few miles of British ter
ritory and long line of water front. furnishes
facilities for smuggling and the clandestine in
PRODUCTION Of Chinese, against which the GUS
IONS officers have vainly commended. The reve-
nue steamer on that station, under its present
energetic commander, has done good work in
checking smuggling. but this vessel is unfit. on
account of her size and want OF speed to rem
der efficient service 1t IL believed that it will
be necessary to employ a number Of speedy
steam launches to patrol the waters of Puget
sound in order to break up this illicit traffic.
II am reliably informed that during the last
year 600 pounds of crude opium was inl-
ported and manufactured at Victoria. making
about 10000 pounds Of the prepared article for
smoking purposes, and that nearly every pound
of it struggled into the United States. 1t
Is more profitable to take tho risk Of an occa-
sional capture ard ccntiscation than to pay the
enormous duty of S12 per pound, which is pro-
hibitiye OF legitimate importations and is the
essential basis of the smuSger's profit. Re-
duce the duty to "a per pound and his occupa-
ton will be gone.
THE present arrangement benefits the Cana
dian government, which collects 81 per pound
upon the crude opium used liz the manufacture
OF the prepared article. Our tariff act of 1890
admits crude opium, containing per cent of
morphla. free, but imposed a duty of S12 per
pound upon opium of a lower grade, such as is
used II. the preparation of tho drug for smok-
Ing purposes, the same rate as is imposed upon
prepared opium. The practical effect OF this is
that the revenue formerly derived from i'm
ported opium Is turned over to Canada and to
smugglers. 1t were better to declare all opium
free OF duty than to leave the present laws on
the statute book. The enormous profits in
opium smuggling, due entirely to the high duty
have induced the employment of large capital
and great number OF bold. skilful men to ell
gage III the illicit traffic, made SO aliuring by
existing laws"
As to the problem of excluding the Chinese
who endeavor to come over from Canada Mr..
Jingle says The various acts OF Congress hav-
ing Tor their object the exclusion OF Chinese
laborers from the United States are practically
nullitied by the clandestine Introduction of
Chinese coming direct from China through the
Dominion of Canada. The Canadian govern
ment collects head tax OF $50 upon each Chi
nese person. and gives him certificate which
enables him to return to Canada without pay
ment OF the taxa second time should he be de-
tected in entering the United States. The law
provides that any Chinese person found unlaw-
rully within the United States shall be caused
to be removed therefrom to the country whence
he came at the cost OF the United States. has
much as nine-tenth5 OF the Cinnamon caught
within our lines near the Canadian frontier
come direct from China, although they enter
by way of Canada, they have been treated, so
far as this department is concerned and in ac-
cordance with the views of the Attorney Gen
erai. as liable to deportation to China as the
country whence they came.
The act OF September 49, 1885, which by its
terms would seem to be imperative until the
exchange or ratification Of the then pending
treaty between the United States and Canada
(Which was never ratifed), contains certain
provisions for an appeal from the decision Of
the commissioner III these cases to the courts.
Such appeals have been entertained by the
courts, and in several cases they have given
the statute another construction from that of
the head of this depar tIaent and OF the Attor-
ney General by deciding that Cauada und not
China was the country whence the Chinamen
came, within the meaning OF the law. The
effect Of this is that Chinese persons once re-
turned to Canada again enter the country. and
repeated instances of this kind have occurred.
Thus the object OF the Chinese restriction acts
is practically defeated"