The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-05-31

WRITTEN FOR THE SuNDA REPUBLIC.
~TGURES have recently been placed
before the Treasury Department
by men who are thought to be
conservative which go to prove
that from $40. 100000 to sl5. Ooo.0 900
worth Of precious stones, principally dia-
monds and pearls. are annually smuggled
into the port Of New York without paying
duties, which would In the aggregate amount
to the pretty price of a frst-class battle
ship.
These figures. OF course, are merely a drop
In the bucket Of the smuggling that pAsses
through other Atlantic ports and over the
Canadian frontier by way Of Niagara and
Lake Champlain.
{ Under the present tariff the duty on rough
uncut stones is only 10 per cent; upon I'm
ished and mounted jewels 60 per cent.
Upon these latter the premium upon SNUG
Cling imposed by the tariff is 30 great as to
prove almost irresistible.
The discovery OF this leakage. consider
able in itself and undoubtedly on the in
crease, has not only aroused Secretary
Shaw, but also the protective association OF
dealers in precious stones. a very wealthy
and influential guild. whose members are
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 prin-
cipal duty is to watch the wholesale and re-
tail shops where precious stones are sold.
There are now eight agents continually on
the move between London. Paris, Antwerp
and Amsterdam.
They cost Uncle Sam 5000 or 5000 a year
apiece. but in return they occasionally make
Q strike in the capture Of some smuggler or
In the detection OF some diamond firm that
has wandered from the straight and narrow
path OF paying the duties which the Dingley
tariff imposes or in capturing a millionaire
who on arriving at the Custom-house sud-
denly forgets all about the tiara OF dia-
monds he purchased in Paris for half a mill
lion or more.
MILLIONAIRES PAID
EXPENSES OF THE SERVICE
These coast guardsmen. the advanced
posts Of our tariff wall projected into for
eign territory. are a costly affair. and this
year Secretary Shaw would have been in a
quandary where to get the money from had
II not been for the patriotic behavior of two
OF our great mil!ionaires. who came forward
somewhat reluctantly. as It win appear, and
paid the expenses Of the whole service from
their capacious pocketbooks.
John w. Gates. the railroad king. and
Charles NJ. Schwab. the Steel Trust mag
nate, are the millionaires who have helped
the Treasury out. not for purposes OF mere
philanthropy, either.
They have simply paid the penalty OF
Rlips Of memory when making out their
Custom-house declaration, for which the
Treasury has not been unduly severe. rec
ognixinE. as 1t. does. that these mighty
men cannot b expected to recall all the
diamond tiaras and pearl necklaces they
may a bought on their 5aunts abroad.
Especially when the time for making the
declaration II that crowded. pulsating mo-
mant when. after months OF boredom
abroad, they onos again come within hear
hg of the tireless ticker and begin to re-
any live again.
1hs Treasury let these mighty men Of
1nanes OF without anins or imprisonmeut