The Wilmington daily Republican., 1891-06-18
POLLING SMUGGLERS
MAILS FROM ABROAD EXAMINED BY
CUSTOMS OFFICERS.

and Watched Until Their Contents AreI
Known-opened in the Presence Of the
Ohicers-when Postmastcrs Collect.
The mails offer such an obvious tempta,
tion to would be smugglers that it is often
asked what steps the government authori-
ties take for preventing the use of them
for the importation of goods free of duty.
AS matter of fact, not n few people have
an idea that they can get ahead of the Gus
toms officials by sending dutiable articles
from abroad through the mails, but when
they act on this belief they in virtually
every instance are disabused of this mis-
taken impression. To make this lesson
the more effective, the government, when.
ever the intent to smuggle is clear, con-
ilscates the articles, although, when the
goods are sent into this country through
an evident ignorance ofthe law, the simple
payment of the duty Is all that is necessary
to secure possession of them.
To understand fully Uncle Sans plan
for getting his Just dues one should follow
the mails from the time they leave the big
transatlantic liner to the time they reach
their destinations. When an incoming
vessel is first sighted word is sent to the
postofiice. II the ship reaches quarantine
before sunset, in time to be inspected by
the health officer or his assistants, the
mails are not landed until the ship reaches
her pier. Then the pouches, hundreds in
number, are hurried ashore These for in
land points are dispatched by the various
railroads, while letters, newspapers, par
cells, ETC., for New York city and It's vicin-
ity are sent to the general postoifice.
GETTING THE MAILS ASHORE.
II, however, the ship reaches quarantine
at night and is compelled to remain there
until after sunrise, tugs in the service OF
the postoflice come up to it and take of
the mails. The pouches for other places
are forwarded by the earliest trains, while
those for this city, as in the other case, are
sent to the postoflice here as quickly as
possible. Nearly all the parcels that seem
to contain books or other dutiable goods
pass through the New York postohice, even
II they are directed to distant points in
the United States. This is the only class
Of mail matter for places from this city
which suffers delay here.
( In the mean time three inspectors OF the
postofIlce customs bureau have been sent
! for at their homes, that is if the mails mr..
rive when the men are not at their work,
er the three hasten to the postotllce. When
the pouches arrive there they are opened
in the presence Of the customs inspectors.
Every letter or parcel that looks as If it
might contain books, etchings, lithoEraphs,
iewelry or other dutiable goods is picked
out of the heaps of mail matter and
stamped IT, for instance, the parcel is
made up OF silk handkerchiefs which can
be seen through holes in the wrapping pa.
per it is stamped Subject to duty" II
the package is securely wrapped so that
its contents arc invisible, Supposed to
contain goods subject to duty" is stamped
on it. The employees Of the postoilce who
handle the mails aid in picking out par.
cells likely to contain dutinble articles.
An idea of the task of the customs men
will be gained from few figures Of the
mail brought by the Servia from Liverpool
few days before Christmas. She carried
about loo pouches, containing in the
neighOorhCod of $4,000 letters, papers.
parcels, etc. This was the largest amount
, ever brought to this port by vessel.
Nearly one third of il all was for this city.
h CERTAIN PARCELS PICKED OUT.
q Long practice has made the men skillful
in picking out the parcels with dispatch.
About 5000 suspicious looking letters, etc,
. were taken in hand by the customs officers,
P, OF this number perhaps 90 per cent con.
tuined books or printed matter which may
+ under the Inv be imported through the
mails. These, except the few which are
sealed and therefore subject to letter rates
are seut to the big room of the customs
bureau on the fifth floor of the postoilice
building, together with the other unseglcd
j parcels. A force of men at once sets tc
. work examining these packages, every
Il one of which is opened.
= If the books are more than twenty yeas
! old, or printed in foreign language, ol
10 addressed to institutions of learning the,
r are admitted free of duty and at once for
a wardcd Newer ones are appraised by met
who have become experts ut it. II tin
I books are consigned TO places outside o.
k this city they are sent to the postmaster o
I the town or city, with "A statement aut
entry, and he collects the duty on them.
1 A favorite trick of would he smuggler
u is to cut ont the heart Of a book and pacl
=, contraband goods in it. A number Of sucl
books have been confscGted Some con
Il tained valuable laces, others silk hanlker
q chiefs, gloves, jewelry and the like. 1t 1
II sheer nonsense to attempt this form o
; Smuggling, because all books are exam
|lutt anu lut utttGllbu IL CtTIhl0.
y The customs officials have an apparen
difficulty to face in the case of sealed pal
cells supposed to contain dntiable good.
o The law that sealed matter shall be opene
by 10 one except the person to whom it i
q addressed must be obeyed by the govern
lr ment employees ms well US by other persons
Is in fact, an infraetion Of it is punishable b
~ a term OF Imprisonment. The custom
:, people, however, get past this stone wa
II easily. While they cannot open the scale
ni letter or parcel they can compel the perso
TO- to whom it is addressed to open it in the
o presence. This is just what is done. Tt
postmaster sends notice to the person
whom parcels for this city are addressed t
r. call on Mr.. Burke, whose office Is on II
mezzanine floor of the postoflce building
and open the suspected piece OF mail ma
re ter As soon us the man opens 1t NJ
ny Burke examines its contents, and II this
'd- are dutiable and of more than trllii
lie value he has them appraised, either by OF
Of his men or by some one at the custo
IsH house. Should the man refuse to open Il
parcel 1t Is returned forthwith 10 u