The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1895-08-29
SMUGGLING IN VENEZUELA.

Little Concealment About 1t, but the Prof.
its Cut Down by Competition.
smuggling is an everyday or per-
haps more probably an every night
occupation along the shores and at
the ports of Venezuela. 1t is carried
On much of the time in collision
Slth the customs officers and is done
with degree of openness. A New
Yorker recently returned from those
parts crossed from one of the West
India islands to the mainland in a
small sailing craft and noted that
the captain had several snug spots
about the boat for concealing dutia-
BILE merchandise. Beneath the floor
OF his bunk on dock the captain had
many bottles of olive oil. Elsewhere
he had dried Goldfish, and i'll one cor
ner was a barrel of -four. These
things were struggled ashore as op-
portrnity offered. People came out
to the vessel as she rode offshore
and purchased contraband goods by
night.
One evening a custom house Off
Ger, who visited the vessel, said he
thought he'd stay all night ON board.
The captain expected q good bust
ness that night and found the pres
ence of the officer embarrassing.
The officer, who saw the shippers
dissatisfaction, finally said in plain
words that he must search the YES
sci unless the captain would yield
up q box Of salt fish. The captain,
feeling himself robbed, but without
recourse, gave the fish to the officer,
escaped search and had the satisfac-
ton of seeing his guest ashore before
night.
1t is a common thing for small
vessels to anchor thus offshore and
signal at night to Venezuelan snug
glers. The latter come out, and there
is a lively trade until all are sup
piled with what they need. The YES
sci goes to another place the next
night, repeats her signals and has
another set of customers. This con-
tinues until the cargo is sold out. If
any customs officer shows himself,
his silence is procured by bribery.
Vessels sometimes come into port
and land Struggled cargo with the
full knowledge of the customs Off
GERS. In such case no official record
is kept of the vessel g arrival in port,
though clearance papers are granted
when she sails. Even when a seizure
is made and vessel is put up at auc-
ton she goes for a trif1e and is
bought in by her owners. Public
sentiment is on the side of the SNUG
glers. Old ooasting vessels from the
United States often engage in this
trade. 1t is perfectly safe, though
less profitable than in some places
because of keen competition.
The Dutch island of Curacao, close
to the coast of Venezuela, is one of
the most important smuggling points
in the world. Scores Of Venezuelans
visit the island to obtain goods, and
the trade goes on the year round al
most unvexed of the customs off
GERS. The knowledge of all this is
public property, and the Venezuelan
government must be perfectly cog
infant of the facts in the case.
Doubtless great deal of the snug
Cling to Venezuelan ports begins at
New York by the filling of orders for
customers in Venezuela. The old
method of smuggling articles on Or
der to persons of means in Cuba was
to give the package in charge of the
purser of an outgoing steamer after
marking the goods for the captain
of the port of Havana. York
Sun.
Vs