The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-13
DoDGINe THE DUTIES.
AN ARMY OF INSPECTORS CANNOT
KEEP TRAVELLERS HONEST.


Opium.
F. @. Carpenter in Pittsburg Dispatch.
Washington.-The enormous amounts Of
which Uncle Sam is robbed through Gus
tom house frauds will never be known.
The government has 1850 employees devoted
to their detection. and its spies are scat
tered all over the world.
Its collections in the way of duties
amounted last year to more than S132. O0O. 900
and the expenses Of making these collee-
lions was almost per cent. Of this vast
sum. The amount uncoIlected win never
be known. Our custom house records are
peppered with perjury and fraud.
Many of the big importers are in collu-
sion with the European manufacturers to
evade the payment of duties. They en-
ter their goods at much lower prices than
they actually pay for them notwithstand-
ing the fact that if discovered they are
subject to heavy fines and increased du-
ties.
1 saw summary of the collections made
by the treasury department during the
past few years of this sort of fines and
amounts arising from under valuation
During the past five years the treasury
department has collected more than $780,
900 in penalties and in the increase of du-
ties This is a million dollars a year, and
1t probably does not represent one-tenth
of the actual amount that Uncle Sam is
annually robbed of in this way.
The law as to the importation of goods
Is very strict. A foreign merchant who
har aruA -.
American consul at the ports from which
he intends to ship the merchandise and
swear as to the kinds, quality and guam
tity of the articles he proposes to ship
to the United States. He has to have three
invoices, describing the goods and giving
their cost in Europe.
The law provides that the goods must
be entered for duty at the market price
paid for them in Europe, and at the prices
at which they are sold to other countries.
In many cases the goods are entered at
much lower valuation than this.
The European merchant charges the i'm
porter a fair price, but he makes out the
bill for a lower price, and the two try to
cheat the government out of it's duties.
At the present time the customs bureau
has it's special examiners or detectives
travelling about through Europe and try
ing to prevent this. They are visiting big
factories. They are inquirng into the
prices. They are making their reports to
the consuls, and 1t is their business to find
out how Uncle Sam is being cheated and
prevent it, They are not doing this. but
they are doing something.
But Notwithstanding their efforts mil
lions of dollars worth of goods are fraudu-
lently imported every year, and they strive
in vain to mend this hole in Uncle Sans
pocket.
Enormous amounts of goods are snug
gled into the United States every year by
travellers. 1t is estimated that there are
now in Europe more than 100000 Americans
who are taking their summer vacations on
the other side and who will return in the
fall.
At a low estimate 80 out of every 100 of
these will bring back at least 800 worth
of European goods. talked with treasu-
ry department official about this matter
yesterday, and he said that 500 would be
a low estimate.
You can easily see how these purchases
will run into tens of thousands and into
the millions The most of the goods will be
dutiable, and 1t is safe to say that the
above amount will evade the customs. At
800 per traveller this means the introduce
ton of 100000 worth of dutiable goods,
and at $500 person 1t would amount to $751;,
100000 worth.
These travellers will be met upon their
be passed as personal effects. A woman
has the right, according to, the law, to
wardrobe corresponding with her station
in life, and If she is well-to-do she can
load herself with diamonds.
Many New York swell brings in eight
or ten suits of clothes, and 1 am told
that there are men who make vacation
trips to Europe on the basis that the ex-
penses of their trip will be largely made
up by the profits which will come to them
through buying their winter clothing in
Europe.
This is especially so when women are
to be considered. Dresses cost just about
half abroad what they do at home, and
they are struggled in by the tens of
thousands.
The expectation is that great amount
of jewelry will be brought into the United
States by the travellers this fall. The
good times are fast throwing down the
fences of economy, and the savings of
the past few years will cause a heavy
European expenditure. There will be
good demand for diamonds with our ap-'
preaching prosperity, and they will be
brought in in all sorts of ways.
Not long ago young American swell
attempted to evade the customs on a dia-
mond present. He was in Europe
and he wanted to send these diamonds to
Miss Fay Templeton, the actress. He did
not care TO leave Europe himself, and ne
perhaps thought it safer to send the dia-
monds by his valet.
The young man arrived in New York
all right. He was an ordinary looking fell
low, and he passed the inspectors without
trouble. AS he hurried up the wharf
however, his haste was noted by one of
the officers, whose sharp eyes also dis
covered that the young mans coattaiIs
wobbled in very curious way
1t looked as though there was some
thing heavy in his rear pocket They call
ed to him. He stopped, and they asked
him what made his coat bulge out in that
strange manner. He turned white at the
question, and started to run. They seized
him and found the diamonds in his pock-
ct. They were confiscated, of course, and
the actress lost her jewels.
I was told the other day by a man con-
nected with the customs that New York
dressmakers often send the girls in their
employ to Europe with the proper meas
urements for dresses for their customers.
The dresses are made IN the latest Paris
styles and are furnished to the Americans
at exorbitant prices. The dressmaking
girls pass them through as their own per
sonal property, and some of the maidens
on the big ocean liners who are looked
upon as American heiresses are smuggling