Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-01-24
POLLING SMUGGLERS
MAILS FROM ABROAD EXAMINED BY
CUSTOMS OFFICERS.

Suspicious Looking Packages Arc Marked
and watched Until Their Contents Are
known Opened In the Presence Of tho
Ofacers-When Postmasters Collect.
The mails offer such an obvious tempta-
Sion 10 would be smugglcrs that 1t IL often
ssked what steps the government authori-
ties take for preventing the use OF them
Tor the importation OF goods free OF duty.
As a matter Of fact, not Il few people have
an idea that they can get ahead Of the Gus
toms officials by sending dutahle articles
from abroad through the mails, but when
they net on this belief they in virtually
every instance are disabused Of this mis-
taken impression. To nuke this lesson
the more effective, the government. whom
ever the intent to smugge Is clear, con.
fiscates the articles, although, when the
goods are sent into this country through
an evident ignorance OF the 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 70 the time they reach
their destinations When an incoming
vessel Is first sighted word is sent to the
postotlice. II the ship reaches quarantine
before sunset, In time to he 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. Those for in
land points nre dispatched by the various
railroads, while letters, newspapers, par
cells. etc, for New York city and its vicin
ity arc sent to the general postofiice.
GETTING THE MAILS ASHORE
n, however, the ship reaches quarantine
at night and Is compelled to remain there
until after sunrise, tugs in the service of
the postoiilce come up to it and take off
the mails. The pouches for other places
are forwarded by the earliest trains, while
those for this city, as In TIE other case, are
sent TO the postoilce here MS quickly as
possible. Nearly all the parcels that seem
to contain books or other dutiable goods
pass through the New York postotiice, 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
postoflice customs bureau have been sent
for at their homes, that is, If the mails ar
rive when the men are not at their work,
hha iiO Hiattti Niistt tit uouT VI tHt Weatu-
err the three hasten TO the postoflice. 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, Autographs,
| jewelry or other dutiable goods is picked
out of the heaps OF mail matter and
stamped. If, for instance, the parcel is
made up Of silk handkerchiefs which can
be seen through holes in the wrapping pa
per il Is stamped Subject to duty" II
the package is securely wrapped SO that
| its contents are invisible Supposed to
contain goods subject to duty" is stamped
on 1t. The employees of the postoffice who
handle the mails aid in picking out par
cells likely TO contain dutiable 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
a few days before Christmas She carried
about l050 pouches, containing in the
neighborhood of $4,000 letters, papers,
parcels, etc This was the largest amount
ever brought TO this port by a vessel.
Nearly one-third OF it all was for this city
CERTAIN PARCELS PICKED OUT.
( 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
OF this number perhaps 80 per cent. con
tanned books or printed matter which may
under the law be imported through the
mails. These, except the few which are
sealed and therefore subject to letter rates,
are sent to the big room of the customs
bureau on the fifth floor of the postoffice
building, together with the other unseaed
parcels, A force of men at once sets to
81.
one of which is opened.
Ii the books are more than twenty years
old, or printed in a foreign language, or
addressed 10 institutions of learning, they
are admitted free of duty and at once for
warded. Newer ones are appraised by men
who have become experts ut it, If the
books are consigned to places outside of
this city they are sent to the postmaster OF
the town or city, with a statement and
entry, aud he collects the duty on them.
A favorte trick of would be smugglers
is to cut out the heart of book and pack
eontraband goods in it. A number of such
books have been contiscated. Some con-
tanned valuable laces, others silk handker.
chiefs gloves, iewelry and the like. 1t is
sheer nonsense to attempt this form of
smuggling, because all books are exam
iued and the detection is certain.
Tho customs officials have an apparent
difficulty to face in the case of sealed par
cells supposed to contain dutiable goods
The law that sealed matter shall be opened
by no one except the person to whom it is
addressed must be obeyed by the govern
ment employees as well as by other persons
In fact, an infraction of it is punishable by
a term Of imprisonment. The customs
people, however, get past this stone wall
easily While they cannot open the sealed
letter or parcel they can compel the person
to whom IL Is addressed to open it in their
presence. This is just what is done. The
postmaster sends notice to the person to
whom parcels for this city are addressed to
call on Mr., Burke, whose office is on the
mezzanine floor of the postotlice building
and open the suspected piece of mail mat
ter As soon as the man opens it Mr.
Burke examines its contents, and if they
are dutiable and of more than triiiing
value he has them appraised, either by one
Of his men or by some one at the custom
house. Should the man refuse to open tho
parcel it is returned forthwith to tho
sender-New York Tribune.
|
Wrought Iron Chimneys.
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