Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-10
SMUGGLING OPERATIONS
Told in the Annual Report of supervis-
ing Special Agent Tingls.

Supervising Special Agent A. K Tingle,
In his report to the Secretary Of the Treas
ury, speaks at length and with much force
OF smuggling operations from British CO.
iumbia and Canada and makes a number
OF tariff suggestions. He refers to the
excellent work accomplished by the officers
assigned to investigate frauds at Port
land. Greg, and on Puget Sound Wash.
In the illegal landing of Chinese laborers
and the smuggling of opium. This investi-
CATION resulted in the seizure of q steam
ship and the indictment for conspiracy
and smuggling Of sixteen persons, eight of
whom were officers or ex-officers of the
customs. including one collector Of Gus
toms and special agent of the treasury"
Although the smuggling OF opium and
the clandestine introduction of Chinese
has long been prevalent In the region of
Puget Sound. he says this is the first in
stance known where a steamship company
has apparently had for its chief ana most
profitable business an illegal trade.
Need Of Improved Revenue Cutter
Service.
Mr.. Tingle adds: ''rhe DEVELOPMENTS in
this case strongly emphasize the need of
an Improved revenue cutter service on the
Pacific coast and especially on Puget
thrive upon profits gained by violations of
our laws. Our feeble efforts to enforce
these laws are laughed at and our customs
officers. unable on account of their infer
iority in numbers and want of suitable
vessels to enforce the law, have too fire.
quently yielded to the corrupt influences
OF the smugglers and have thus brought
shame and contempt upon the public
service.
Many seizures of clothing smuggled from
Canada have been made by special officers
detailed to duty upon the frontier Certain
canadian tailors send agents to the United
States to canvass for business In our cities
ana agree to deliver custom-made clothing
by express free of duty. The packages con-
tanning such clothing are smuggled across
the boundary line and shipped from some
Sonvenlent express off1ce to destination
sleeping car porters, conductors and bag
gage men have been employed in this work
and IL was discovered in a recent tnyestign' >
ton that mail bags were used to conceal
valuable furs shipped by a large dealer
In Quebec, who has for years sold his goods
TO American tourists, to be del,yeraJ
through his agents. who smuggle them in
the manner described "
he renews his recommendation for award
gled goods.
Tariff sugsestions.
On the tariff question Supervising Agent
Tingle says:
AS legislation by the present Conprsss
upon the tariff appears to be ou,ta c.,-
tain beg leave to suggest the eliminate,
from the schedules Of provisions wbera,r
the imposition or non-imposition a, du,,a.
uepehos upon certain conditions roak,na
tne same article dutiable under one ,,.,s
OF 1acts and non-dutiable under anoth.r
such provisions in the tariff csuse ,,no,,
trouble In administration and .r,ora -,
venient opportunity for fraud
for instance. fish caught In fresh ,,,.,a..
Win hets or other devices owned h,, os,t
n,ns,,. oi 'he United states are free This
waters OF the great lakes and rivers r-i,s1,
the jurisdiction of the Dominion OF Canada
by canadian law, however a license 10 re-
quireo 10 nsn IN such waters and no license
can pe granted TO person not a citizen of
canada. This would seem to exclude Cit
zens OF the United States. and render nara-
sraph oa nugatory so far as II refers to
res, esh hsn caught In nets owned by Amer
lcan citlzens And yet fish are consts ntlv
Imported and entered free of duty under
SAID provision. 1t is claimed by the imnor-
ters that they really own the nets Mat are
USED IN taxing the fish. and that il is the
Canadian law, not ours, that is evaded
another instance is found I'm paragraph
4SS OF the existing tariff. which provides for
the Tree entry of bags Of American manu-
facture when exported filled with American
products. Under this provision large ouan-
titles OF bags have been admitted TO free
entry IN excess OF the product of the Amer
lean bag factories. 1t has been ascertained
that persons in Liverpool. and perhaps in
other European ports. have done a profit
able business by gathering up secondhand
bags made I'm all parts of the world and
shipping them to the United States as bags
OF American origin"