Arizona republican., 1901-10-01
THE RECORD IN DUTIES
More Collected in a Month
 Than All Last Year
What was Done at the New York Custom Rouse = Home Coming Tourists Subjected to the Barrier System.

New York, Sept. 30.-Not in the his tory Of the custom house has there been such an evidence of American prosperity as has ben revealed during the past month in the declaration made by returning American tourists of goods purchased abroad. According to the custom house officials, every in coming steamer has been a veritable treasure ship over which d few thou sand well-to-do Americans have been the sole guardians. Almost every co-Ia- try of the civilized world has contrih- uted some article to these costly car- goes
 So iavishly have the home-comers spent their money on foreign shores for masterpieces in art and literature, the rich gowns of the Parisian modiste an relics from cave river bottom and his- toric ruins, that the duties collect d on these goods by the custom house 1 for this month have already amounted ! to s175, 900. or a sum in excess of the amount collected during all of last year.
 Officials say that the figure will be over the s200OOO mark.
 There has been no increase Tn the : clerical force of the department which has enabled it to SO far eclipse past { performances. Surveyor Croft and Coi- ! lector Ridwell say that the increase. | regulations and methods put into oper- ! ation last March. As Deputy Collector King says:
 1 There was q great hue and cry raised then against the inliumanity and 1 hardheartedness of the custom house ! in keeping long separated friends apart by hempen barrier, while passengers baggage was being examined, but the wisdom of the proceedings must now be apparent to all. With plenty If | space to work in and no collision be- tween passengers and friends, the corps : of collectors have been able to do won ders.
 Custom house officials say that the new methods have also educated the people to regard with more respect the laws governing imported goods. The class Of individuals. they say, which iI the past have escaped the payment oE duties. and thereby lost to the govern ment thousands Of dollars annually. Is now annihilated.
 ! One collector said today that rela- tions of mutual respect are now every day in evidence between custom house officials and passengers. a thing almost inlEossib.e last year. when the collectors could not place the implicit confidenca in the integrity of the passengers that they can today.
 The unfortunate relations which ex- isted between them last year" said he were the direct outgrowth of the grea, prevalence of smuggling"
 The custom house has a well nigh perfect system of inspection today. Very often passengers bring personal prop rty to this country which they dc net know is dutiable. Such persons are readily recognized by the inspectors and are at once made acquainted witt the laws. A case in point is that of John W. Gates, who arrived on tic Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse last Tues day with a $35, 900 pearl necklace. whicf he did not declare because, as he said he did not purchase it abroad on his recent trip, but two years before. H. admitted to Deputy Collector King thai duty had never been paid on it, ant when informed that he owed the gov ernment s21. coo made out his checf with an apology. saying: "I didn' mean to try and fool you. I certainlI wouldn't nave tried to fool you if
 had known anything about the situd tion.'
 Special Treasury Agent Theobolt confirmed today the story of Mir. Gates his necklace and the check for S21,Oo0 He takes to himself the credit of hay
 ing forewarned the custom house her of the valuable bit of dutiable jewelry
 He says that he saw Mir. Gates with tn necklace in London and informed tn
 officials here of it's owners departur s on the Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse weel
 before last.
 Collectors at the custom house todd! were not disposed to attach nuci
 credit to Mir Theoboid's service. ; -o-