The morning call., 1891-10-26
THE MODERN sMUGGLER.

Some of the newspapers in this city APP
pear to keep a standing head: " Another
Opium Seizure" 1t is a matter of public
notoriety that a very small proportion of
the prepared opium imported into this
country pays any duty. the $40 pound
which it ought TO pay constituting a tempt
alton to smuggle which seems irresistible.
A smuggler can carry under his arm box
which is worth $50 to $500 more after he
has got it into the city than it was ON board
ship; for such a gain men will run some
risk. Hence the business is largely followed.
When tho duty on opium was raised, the
reason assigned was that it was not only a
luxury but pernieous luxury, and that it
ought to pay a heavy rate of duty; this
seemed reasonable enough, but the prae-
teal effect has been that it pays little or no
duty, the bulk of the importation being
struggled.
> similar state of things is now being I'M
arthed at the Eastern sPap0rts in relation
to fine dress goods. These goods-iaces,
silks, satins, fine embroideries and guipures
pay very heavy rate of duty. 1t was
lately noticed that the importation of such
articles was falling of in an unaeeountable
way. Inquiry elected the fact that instead
of shipping the goods openly, with regular
invoice, the makers were shipping them as
the personal wearing apparel of lady who
was sent to New York to convey them to
that destination. A lady of preposscssiug
appearance and usage of the world was
hired to sail in Liverpool liner to New
York. She took with her three or four
trunks full of dresses and other garments,
no more than a lady of means would
be likely to have. The dresses were
made up roughly, so as to fit her, but with
such liDerality in the measures that they
could easily be altered to fit any ordinary
figure. On her arrival at New York she
passed her trunks through the Custom
house as wearing apparel in actual use, and
proceeded to a hotel, where she was met by
a confederate, relieved Of her wardrobe, aud
left free to return to Europe by the next
steamer. The customs officials lately de-
tected the trick and arrested one of the lady
smugglers. 1t proved that the regular
duties on the goods she brought would have
amounted to $500, while her travelling ex-
peuses were easily covered by $500 or $780,
The story reminds one of the tales of the
NapoleoDic era when French spirits were
subjected to high duties in England, and
Dick Hatterack was a type of a large and
flourishing class. The conflicts between the
cOast-guard men and the smuggIers fur
nished writers with much material for
thrilling fiction. Smuggling was serious
business in those days. Under certain cir
cumstances it was punishable by the i'm
prisonment of the smngglers on one of the
Kings ships, which was only one degree
better than death. We do not visit in
Engagements of the revenue laws with such
severe penalties nowadays. Governments
are generally content to enforce forfeiture
of the goods which smugglers try to intro
duce, though they sometimes forfeit the
vessel likewise, and send the smugglers to
jail for year. In Spain the contrabandista
is often popular hero; the populace hide
him from the customs officers and help him
to secrete his goods.