New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-23
BOUNDARY NUISANCES.
Line Houses" Ma&e Trouble for
american and Canadian Officials.
IFrom The Tribune Bureau. ]

Washington, Oct. 22-The fact that line
houses on the boundary between Canada and
the United States have been growing in number
instead of decreasing. despite the energetic
measures of Canadian and United States nspec-
tors, has recently been brought to the attention
of customs officials If Washington. and plans to
do away with the nuisance are under considera-
ton. The line houses in which Il rushing
business is done in smuggling goods and selling
illicit whiskey, lie especially the Maine and
Vermont borders, and are built directly over the
line. There about fifteen of them on the
Vermont boundary and twenty on the line be-
tween Maine and Canada The proprietors have
cOntrived clever plan by which to foil inspec-
tors. The goods are stored in cupboards or
shelves on wheels. When a lookout gives the
signal that officer is approaching from either
side, Canadian or American the proprietor
promptly slides his cupboard or shelves with
liquor and merchandise over into the territory in
which the officer cannot make arrest. This
system has been so developed that it is said
many of the houses are equipped with apparatus
by which the shelves move with the pressing of
a button.
For fifty years the Canadian inspectors and
United States government and state officials in
Maine and Vermont have been struggling to put
down the line houses but with little success.
This is due to the fact that a successful raid
can be made only by joint action between the
officials Of the two governments. The officers
must appear at the line house" simultaneously.
the Canadians entering from their side and the
American inspectors mailing their man in case
he attempts shift his goods into their terri
tory. The operation in this way is apparently
simple but because of the limited force of in
spectors and the wide stretches which they
are obliged to patrol it has been found difficult
to secure joint action, and the houses still
flourish. A statute which gives American off,
Gals the right to seize goods contained In q
boundary house upon which duties have not
been paid has not been found to cover the stu
alton satisfactorily. When raids have been
made and the goods seized on the ground that
proper duty was not paid the proprietors have
made contests in the courts and the victory has
not always been for the inspectors.
There were about fifteen special agents en-
ployed by the United States government, in ad-
dition to the regular customs officers, to watch |
the boundary line between Canada and the |
United States in the space extending from Og- |
densburg to Portland, Me. These men are eff /
Gent as a rule and their reports made to head
quarters in Washington show that they make |
many seizures in course Of the year. Neverthe- |
less. the system Of control has never worked /
satisfactorily. go
ance, and in the matter of regulating the rang
ing of cattle from Canadian to American terri
tory on farms which lie on both sides of the line
1t has been impossible for the limited force TO
compel anything approximating strict opserv-
line becomes more thickly settled, as 1t is rapihy
doing 1t is expected that the troubles Will mutt
ply and the force will be utterly inadequate. II
Is now proposed, in view Of the many perpIeXlng
questions which are likely to arise in connection
with enforcement of the boundary rules all
along the line from the Pacific to the Atlantic
Coast that the United States and Canada |
should agree to a Joint commission to deal with
the subject. With view to closing up the
Tine houses the suggestion is made thar
Canada and the United States should negotiate
| treaty which should provide either that no
house of any kind should be built directly over
he boundary line or else that neutral belt
ew feet wide should be established which would
erve as a boundary zone. It is proposed that
n this belt no house should be'built ana, there
ore that a must have his home wholly IN |
Canadian or American territory 1t is proposed
urther that the forces of special agents shall
,e increased and that they shall confer with
Jew to making a series of raids upon every
line house" now in existence.