The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-07-17
They Deal in Farm Products In
stead of Opium Now.
CANADIAN FARMERS PROTEST.
Ra~h Protective DGffes or Americas
ss Fsssts, Meats and Vegetables Are
Rendered desperate nder Ex-
listing Tr@asy Regulations Law
hreakers Go IBmoiested-Hove
for More Stringent Laws.

wth changing conditions CT Puge.
eosrnd and with radical alterations IL the
tariff. there has coFne remarkable change
In the character % tas duties o. the sffAaii
array OF Federal officials the government
maintains IN the far Eorthxester portion
q tho United States constituting The Pu-
got sound collection district. Formerly
The vigilance OF the Federal officers vas
tarsd 10 the utmost 70 outwit the daring
and often desperate characters who, IN
email but swift sioops and salleoats OF
various rigs. engaged in the smuggling OF
prepared opium from Queen FIetoria's do
mains into the United States. The duty
% that article was then practically pro-
hibtiye. ard sInai fortune was often
MADE by the sale OF a single cargo OF the
drug, 81 q pound being the ordinary profit
Smuggling Of this kind - now thing OF
the past, however. The duty on opium
In now 50 low that there Is little profit
FOR sruugglers OF the drug, and most Of
them have either abandoned their calling
or sailed north 20 engage Ia whisky SNUG
Cling In Alaska. But there are Still SNUG
elsrs on the Sound, and many an Innocent
looking old sailboat rocking at anchor in
the blue waters Of the Straits OF Juan
de Fuca. or drawn up on the white shell
beach in front OF one OF the numerous
island farms of San Juan county could tell
q story that would interest the Federal
officers and bring confusion 20 her OWL
ers. II is among the innumerabie little
islands OF the San Juan archipelago that
the smugglers stiil have their haunts, but
Ina n
cIIsiyely In contrabapd farm products.
In the Days of Yore.
In the old days the balance OF Height
mate trade was strongly In favor Of Brit
ish Columbia and the manufacturers 81
prepared opium who made the drowsy old
city Of Victoria their headquarters fat
tered their bank accounts and smiled ut
the efforts OF Uncle Sans men 10 put
stop 10 the traffic IN dope" II was a
grea. industry whilo II lasted and although
the Canadian customs officers felt a kind
Is sympathy for their American brethren,
their own government. was losing nothing
and t,a citizens were making good thing
out Of IT,. Now the shoe Is on the other
foot The bulk or the smuggling Is now
done from the United States into British
Columbia. and our British cousins ind
their protective tariff on farm products %
a great extent rendered imperative. Aud
they object.
The Canadian duties on farm produce are
heavy. For example fresh and canned
fruits are taxed A. per cent: fresh beef
nearly 100 per cent, and vegetables ara
all sorts OF garden sass" in proportion
The people IN the British Columbia cit
les are good iivera and are willing 20 pay
high prices for all the market affords but
the enterprssing smugg!ers make it psssl-
Die Ter them TO have the iuxuries ut prices
so low that tho Canadian farmers throw
up their hands In despair. American
nuts. hees, mutton and vegetables are
dlfferent from the Canadian only in prize
They bear 10 distinctive marks OF ma
thi.y. and II IL said that they are often
Mold as the product OF Canadian Industry
The American farmer has many advnn-
tages 81 soil ana climate over his compost
itaf across the line. This 81 where the shos
rinches the latter
An American customs official who has
This summer spent considerable time IN
British Columbia. a few DAYS ago gave n
Post,Insellisencer reporter ma1v details
OF his investigation OF this i}ncollc snug
Cling.
Consumer None the Wiser
I was shown one little two acre straw
berry patch on Vancouver island he said.
from which was told that TIE owner
sold lasi spring over six tons OF berries
His neisAboFs frankly ,eld ne ihae there
was little preterse on hts part thar he
raised the berries himself They were
dumped eli TIE beach ~ front OF his farm
house by the boat load and the labels OF
The san Juan farmers on the boxes oAitt-
Grated by pasting over chem those a. h,s
own- They were Then sold either fresh or
preserved in the Canadian market and the
consumer waS none the wiser
other farmers toti ne that 4 was rot
at all unusual for beat leads Of the canrvi
and eotslfd fruit - he landed on the
Fritisli si'ia snd sod preserved By Brit
ish Columbia faruers' wives The same.
i am toll. Is trlle ~ otter farm products.
'"l'he British Columbia farn~r 70 t,,,,
loser IN a." transaction for wool le ahout
tho ONLY thing he caa send across the
hnFsier hy the suuggI@r ARA THE has hen
done. and ls st:u being dor. - zen
siderable extent Tie wool sFnugglers
make a proa, % from 70 - cents 4
pound hy difference in ne duties
There s. only ezra way tu that this
smagsiifsg. which both governments would
like - see stopped. can - checked and
that Is by :se cfoss corporation of the
courts RHA customs officers an both sides
Of tha line. Now Il IL simply sn1f-o@sia',.
90 convict tho srrusrier. ca account OF lack
~ evidence When an American uai-.r
Etses Across ~ British tsianhss to i-vs-ss-
tgste casa az smuggling re has ne
trouble II tws1ng witnesses who VII talk
freely sssl give testimony enough 90 ,r-
siire conviction, Ha' when shrV are ask I
- come over 70 the Vc1st States 20 IS.
tIgy they douur.
They ee tnmol
- These fellows lfs oe.~ here ai ,ht
cn'e.' ;sey WI say. '4e.3 we ean's aroTl 80
tncur tayi~ enm'y even - oHl'sa y1u
Why, tsey n'iEhs cause IS all kinds Of
troable. We DONE wart over houses euI
harms hurHe3 We cam srfeor aEs{uef
So men iu court Hou 2tc aclco9,,a - al
Nc know privately. but ycQ VII AAyr se
excuse so - witnesses
"A0a So it ~ ;isst tas ~-7H&siers c~r--
tlf1''e - cauae and ~ Unr,ejssttl Fog .Ne
t'8r4=.ilzn offer on eAf- see. 80 g.. I'm.
.stesEs VII - sa,nE .ilflo..- Ia FL -