The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-08-26

the hands OF the government clerks. and
thereby approaching their value.
! ind IL very hard TO- get accurate infor-
nation from the custom house. For some
reason or other tho officials think financial
matters should be kept secret and chat
the American people have no right to
know what business Is being done until
the news g. sent out from headquarters.
the matter OF "A month or year making
no difference. The custom house is stlll
managed on the spanish system, the nd
Spanish duties being in force. The tariff
Is collected chiefly on the weight of the
goods. and quality and price make little
difference.
Take the matter OF iewelry. for In
stance. IL a silver dollar weighing Az
Grains were handed over TO a ieweler and
turned into a bracelet and a gold dollar
weighing twelve grains OF gold. were made
into a rims and set with 400 grains OF dia-
mpuds the two articles coming into a
Manila custom house would pay the came
duty. one might be- actually worth but
s., and tho other x2S0a. but the weiEat
would govern the tarifT A pound or
canned tomatoes. selling for 10 cents IN
gold, and IA pound of potted chicken. worth
80 cents. would pay the same tariff, and
SO % Is with scores 81 other things Fu.-
niture PAYS It's way by the pound. and 20
do silks, velvets and wrapping papers IL
hemp, marble and drugs. and, In sacf.
with almost every Importation
Persona! Experience Wlth the system.
The customs house Is doing bis
business but II seems 10 be- ran on the
plan that Dickens characterized as ''tha
science of how not 10 dc IT," II has an
army u clerks many Of whom are SOL
dicrs. and other clvu Officers, but u
lacks mon Who are skilled IN customs
work ~ has host ~ FiHplnus 10 helm
the other clerks and Notwithstanding
this % takes from a day 90 a month
o. grt shipment NJ goods Through a.
II you are Boz o hurry the officers will
advise you 60 gu and gei a custom house
broker 90 attend - your matters and
nftor you have attempted once or twice
60 d0 tho work yourself you are glad
90 takc the hivico The delay may d.
duo to thr spanish system. although Il
N"oms Gu mc that tAs red tapa og the
army has something to da with a.
Take $50 experience which I had with
ihc aGlcs myself as an instance. u re-
latci go O. Package ~ dozen rolls 81
Photographic alms worth ST. which were
t'Hptrd iA ne tram Heugk0nE. The ship
mput and taa Bills wvre au in regular
order and thr duty Yves only a matter
vt 4s ceuis. b4t N teak me a whole halt
dan to raN o. When ] said I was tn a
nHtNN Nht NtN atHtafsHs 4 Was Told l1lt they
evaii not D. possibly passed through the
custom hoUse in one aaN I tried 90 gci
them rrVcrthtirss and thersupon be,
san my acors. vhita lasted from moru-
las uutlI no0u. The Box had 90 D. hunt
60 up aua weighed Then fhe rolls 81
HiHas were takes out and weighed on,
by ono. the wrapping paper betng placed
Vn tap ro sre taat Sc pai3 iJs share CO.;
the duty : h1d tacD ga make aeclara.
uou in duplicate ana ,a chase thi4 from
ouc clerk 90 another. through tho Narou,
oslccs af tec custom Rause & Neutur,
that icasJ twenty i've clerks oara passed
uD that :. crUts' worth ~ duty vacf
carefully inlorslng the three papers an,
passing them on 90 the next. ln raan,
INSTANCES % RECORD Was made Ia she book,
and az last / was eiNcu paper aua talt
to 50 to the cashier and pay the duty
Alder ,his I got my box Z was mgcA bet
ter treated than thc ordinary customer
being .nvassah,y' pushed forward ~ al
vance ~ the flpinos and Chinese VIII.
we've waiting hy the SCORE Go have theU
wants attended 90.
can ece how this custom system nigh
have been profitable one 20 the span
ish officials. where. as a rule. cverl
clerk collected his toll. but 1t is radicals