Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-28
The New York Customs Frauds.

In remanding for sentence a member
Of New York importing firm who had
pleaded guilty of participation in frauds
against the customs. Judge Holt of the
United States circuit court in that city
yesterday took occasion to characterize
as improper the practice of the govern
ment In retaining In office self-confessed
participants In those frauds in order to
secure their cooperation in prosecution.
Collector Loeb meets this declaration with
the statement that the conviction of those
engaged in frauds against the United
States is impossible by any other means.
that otherwise the guilty weighers and
inspectors will not testify against the
principals. even under promise Of immu-
nifty from prosecution.
This is not an unfamiliar situation in
our affairs Prosecuting officers are con-
tinual1y beset with the problem Of Sc
curing convincing evidence in cases Of
conspiracy. 1t has come to be regarded
as permissible through necessity to allow
those who give states evidence to go free
In consideration of their aid In bringing
lawbreakers to book. In the New York
custom house situation, however. the gov
eminent has gone one step farther, and
has not only granted immunity from
prosecution to certain employees, but has
retained them in the service. the collector
explaining that this was the only means
OF securing their testimony. the guilty
weighers fearing that If they were dis
missed they could not find employment
elsewhere.
The chief consideration, in which the
public will be most directly concerned.
il no oF all
forms of graft. 1t is first essential to
reorsanize the force under conditions
which promise the government a full re-
turn from the enforcement of the law
and the importers immunity from graft
ing demands upon them by dishonest
employees. 1t would not seem to be neces-
sary to retain dishonest men in the
service to accomplish this result The
collector. however, holds that the prose-
cution of those guilty of past frauds is
urgently important, in order to demon
strate clearly to the business world that
there is vitality In the customs laws and
honesty in the service. and he urges that
the incidental retention of few dishonest
employees, who are held under rigid scru-
tiny, will permit this desirable result
without in the least degree weakening the
reform which he is putting into practice.
An amazing recital of corrupt practices
in the customs administration in New
York accompanies these statements by
the court and the collector. 1t is set
forth that for years foreign shippers and
domestic importers have been subjected
to system of graft amounting in the
aggregate to untold millions Of dollars,
which. of course. have been lost to the
government of the United States. If
these tales are true the government has
been suffering an enormous leakage for the
benefit Of merchants and of customs en-
ployes. 1t is not at present material
whether the initiative in this guilty prac-
tice was taken by the importer or by the
corrupt official. The public has never
been greatly exercised over the question
of relative guilt in such conspiracies. In
this case it hopes to see, however. a
housekeeping at the New York custom
house and elsewhere, il necessary, that
will re-establish honesty as the basis of
the tariff collections.