The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-08-16
THE GOVERNMENT
SILK appraisers Making Fortunes Ont
OF the Importers

New York. August iS--Appraiser
Wakeman said today that he had call
ed in the goods OF a number OF silk
importing houses and was making an
examination to see whether the goods
had been properly appraised. This Is
because OF a belief that certain exam
liners in the employ of the government
have been making large sums or money
from the importers by passing Japa-
nese silks with under caluations. II
the differentiation and underweighing
have been practised steadily. as alleged.
the government has been defrauded
Of large sums OF money. one examiner
is alleged to have received s. 600 n year
from silk importing firms: another was
sent 10 Europe. and another had come
into the possession OF valuable real es-
tate
Washington, August l3.-Regarding
the statement published in New York
this morning to the effect that millions
of dollars in customs duties had been
lost 10 the government through false
invoices as 10 weight and value OF
Japanese silks imported into the Unit
ed States at that port. Assistant Sec
retary Spalding, who has charge OF the
customs matters in the treasury de-
partment today said:
About two weeks ago a gentleman
named Beach and another whose name
| have forgotten, came into my office
and stated 10 me that they had knowl-
edge of the fact that SILK Examiner
Brown was in the pay OF a prominent
New York silk importing firm. receiv-
ing $S 900 a year as compensation for
under valuing silk invoices, and that
Brown also received pay from another
silk concern. They also stated that
large invoices OF Japanese silks were
then on their way to New York con-
signed to these firms and that they
We're daily expected to arrive. ] told
them that II was OF the highest impor-
tance that they give me the names OF
the firms they charged with fraud in
connection with these importations.
and asked them 10 put their statement
in writing. | assured them that III
they gave me a single definite fact or
any information upon which j might
act | would start an investigation at
once and that a letter to the appraiser
embodying their statement would be
in his hands the following morning
They went away saying that they
would write out their statement and
would shortly return. They did return
in the afternoon. but stated that IL
would be necessary for them TO go gack
to New York as they had found that
they did not have sufficient data with
them upon which to base a specific
statement OF facts. ! told them that
as they were TO return TO New York I
very much wished they would call on
Appraiser Wakeman the next morning
and lay their facts before him and that
! had no doubt he would give the mat
ter prompt attention
This they agreed TO do and left the
| department and, while / have heard
| nothing further from them ] assume
! that they communicated with the ap-
| praiser, especially as the department
| has received a preliminary report from
| Mr.. Wakeman. stating that he had be-
| gun an investigation of alleged frauds
in connection with japanese silk impor-
| tations. Whether the investigation will
| develop anything Of the magnitude in
| dicated in the published statement, j
| have no present means OF knowing
but am sure the matter will be prob
i ed TO the bottom"