The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-07-19


smuggled into the port Of New
York without paying duties, which would in the
aggregate amount to the pretty price or nrst-
class battleshipa
These figures Of course merely drop In
the bucket Of the smuggling that passes through
other Atlantic ports and over the Canadian from
tier by the way of Niagara and Lake Champlaln
Under the present tariff the duty ON rough un-g
cut stones is only 10 per cent; upon finished
and mounted jewels go per cent. Upon these lat
ter the premium upon smuggling imposed by the
tariff is so great as to prove almost irresistible
The discovery of this leakage, considerable in
itself and undoubtedly on the increase, has not
only reused Secretary Shaw, but also the pro-
tectiye association of dealers in precious stones
a wealthy and influential guild, whose members
beginning to find their business seriously
hurt by competition which is neither fair nor
aboveboard.
The first result has been, as the principal
smugglers well know, a large increase IN the
force Of special agents abroad, whose principal
duty 1t is to watch the wholesale and retail
shops where precious stones are sold. There
now eight agents continually on the move
between London, Paris, Antwerp and Amster-
dam.
They cost Uncle Sam 5000 $4,000 year
piece, but in return they occasionally make a
strike In the capture Of some smuggler or In
the detection of diamond firm that has
wandered from the straight and narrow path OF
paying the duties which the Dingley tariff i'm
poses or in capturing a millionaire who on arr
irving at the custom house suddenly forgets all
about the tiara Of diamonds he purchased In
Paris for half million more. 9f
These coast guardsmen, the advanced posts Of
our tariff wall projected into foreign territory,
are costly affair, and this year Secretary
Shaw would have been In quandary where to
get the money from had 1t not been for the
patriotic behavior of two Of great million
aires who came forward somewhat reluctantly,
as it will appear, and paid the expenses of the
whole services from their capacious pocket
books. Hv
John w. Gates the railroad kind and Charles
M. Schwab the steel trust magnate, are the
milIionaires who have helped the treasury out,
not for purposes Of mere philanthropy either.
They have simply paid the penalty of slips of
memory when making out their custom house
declaration, for which the treasury has not been
Unduly severe, recognizing as 1t does that these
mighty cannot be expected to recall all
the diamond tiaras and pearl necklaces they
may have bought their jaunts abroad, espe-
cially when the time for making the declaration
Is that crowded, pulsating moment when, after
months Of boredom abroad, they once again
within hearing of the treess ticker and
begin to really live again.
The treasury let these mighty men OF finance
off without filming imprisonment simply re-
quirng the duties to be paid months after
the jewels had slipped in duty free because no
stage Of the transaction-exeept the momentaof
declaration, which all know slip of
memory-had been marked by that secretive-
ness which is the characteristic of the smuggler
The jewels were bought and abroad at
Longchamp and AK with frankness almost
approaching ostentation, and it was only when
the custom house appeared in view that these
pretty baubles were laid aside and the purchase
Of million-dollar bagateles slipped from men,
cries that pass in the "street" for being very
clear and attentive Secretary Shaw says "the