Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-25
CAUSES BITTERNESS
Effort to Prevent Smuggling
at Manila.
DUTY ON NECESSARIES
ARMY AND NAVY OFFICERS
MUST PAY.
Tilt Between Gov. Taft and Admiral
Evans-The Chamberlin Case
Recalled.
DUTY ON MAGISTRATES
Ely WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Special CORRESPONDENCE of The Evening Star and
Chicago Record Herald


MANILA, May "a, 1904.
If Congress will not increase the pay OF
the army in the Philippines, or authorize
free trade between these islands and the
United States, it should at least promptly
| repeal that preposterous and unjust provi-
sion of the local tariff law which requires
members of the military and naval service
on detail here to pay duty upon necessary
articles they bring or receive from home
There is bitter feeling between the mill
tary and naval ana the civil services, par
ticularly the customs service, which is en-.
tirely unnecessary and due to an abomina-
BILE provision that all tariff duties shall APP
ply to army and navy officers and their
families.
Gov. Taft supported the collector of Gus
toms when he was governor, and threat
ened to place q customs inspector upon
every man-ofwar in order to prevent off
GERS and men from smuggling contraband
goods ashore.
Admiral Evans denied his right to do SO
and declared that If inspectors appeared on
the ships of his squadron he would have
them thrown overheard: He wrote GOV
Taft that he as admiral was officially re-
sponSible for the discipline of the officers
and men under his command, and was per
fectly competent to prevent smuggling and
the violation Of the customs as well as
every other law.
Gov. Taft replied that the collector of Gus
toms had been Informed that officers and
sailors on some of the cruisers and pattie
ships of the PHILIPPINE fleet had large guam
titles of dutia BILE goods in their possession
and were intending to smuggle them into
the islands.
Admiral Evans retorted that he, as com
mander OF the fleet should have been noIl-
fled of that matter Immediately, ana tha'
the evidence should be promptly placed IN
his hands. and he demanded the name OF
Gov. Tafts informant. lie received no fe-
ply. The correspondence terminated thefe
and the collector of customs placed no IN
spectors upon the ships of the fleet.
Duty on Necessaries Of Life.
1 think every body Will agree that 1t Is a
mighty mean government which compels us
officers and soldiers to pay duty upon ofo'-
nary wearing apparel and the necessar,es
of life which they bring from their own
homes and not from foreign country 10Y
their personal use and not for sale or
pl oft and Congress never h'eiioeo 'i'0"'
one little story will illustrate the spirit
and the methods OF the customs ADMINS
tration. The wife of a certain army on
Ger whom l will call Smith, because that
is not her name. has mother IN Detroit
and the latter, being out shopping one day
picked up a shirt waist az bargain couli-
ter which SIZE thought wcHd p;sase ne5
sent it to her by mail When ii arflE"a
at the Manila post Office 1t was turned over
to the customs authorities as duttaois
article. Mrs Smith declined 10 pay we
duty. Collector Shuster confscated the
garment.
At the same time. from his point o.
view Mr. Shuster was merely performing
his ordinary duty and was executing d Ia :"
of Congress which he was sworn to en-
force The tariff of the Philippines tsec-
ton 1850, adopted September Il, lSol' pro
vides for the free admission or wearing
apparel, toilet objects and articles LOT i'et
sCnal use bed and ia bile linen, books, port
able tools and instruments. theatrical cos
tunes jewels and table services bearing
evident signs of having been USED, imported
by travellers in their luggage In quantities
proportionate to their profession anu po-
sition." Section 1913 provides for the free
admission OF used household furniture
of persons coming to settle IN the fh,hp
pine Islands" provided that satisfactory
evidence be produced that such persons
are actually coming to settle In the Philip
nine Islands and that the change Of RES
Gtnce IS bona hde
Army and Navy officers Barred.
7 40 no, suppose that anybody in Congress
noted The fact. or intended IL to be so, but
that clause bars out officers of the army
and navy because they are not coming to
settle in the Philippine Islands, but are in
tending to return to the United States with
ir two or three years or as soon as they
can secure a transfer. Hence. by Collector
Shusters Interpretation OF the law 'heS
are no. entitled to free entry or any ar
t,cles Whatever although he does make an
exemption of ordinary fousehola furniture
crocke-y and cooking utensils brought upon
an army transport upon wflch 'ae owner :
arrive end accompany lie regular equip
r,ent Of the regiment TO when 'hey peIois.
But even then, If the articles ere new or
show 70 signs of use, the regular duty Is
imposed Several officers have been com
nelled to pay duty upon cheap househoio
and camping outfits which they pufchaseo
In San Francisco before sailing because
they thought the furniture, CHINA, silver
and other household goods which they have
been In the habit of using were TOO hne 70
bring over here. They had no idea that
ouch things would be taxed. If the wife OF
IN army officer thought it prudent to leave
her sold silver and fine linen and porcelain
and crystal at home and buy cheaper stun
for use over here, she dld not imagine that
the government her husband Is serving
would compel her to p1y tax upon her
prudence, but 1t did oil the same and the
commission by its silence has approved such
transactions again and again.
Not Authorized to Discriminate.
For example, an officer 1 know, having
| heard of the high prices charged for every
thing IL Manila, purchased a full outfit of
everything required for housekeeping and
| brough. it on q. transport. The goods were
seized assessed for more than they had
cost and the officer compelled to Dor
row money from q comrade TO pay the duty.
When e protest was made Collector Shus-
ter read to him the sections of the law
| lave jIst quoted, and Informed the officer
that he was not authorized 20 make any ex-
captions.
He has also rule that army people must
pay upon all individual importations," as
| lie terms them, by which he means house
| rold goods and belongings that do not come
| on a transport In charge of 4 quartermas-
| ter but upon regular, ordinary merchant
| steamer He makes no allowances, how
| ever. He makes distinctions between
army and navy officers and citizens. He
| declares that he has no discretion; that the
| law authorizes no distinction, and therefore
he cannot make any. Hence he not only
| charges duty upon household furniture. but
| upon uniforms. epaulettes and swords of Of
| ficers who come to spend only short time
| in the islands, just he would require an
| ordinary citizen to Pay duty upon a suit of
| clothes. He argues that a suit of clothes
| is q suit Of clothes, whether 1t Is worn as
| uniform or as an ordinary garment, or
| whether its wearer is an army officer or a