The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-09-17
CHEATING THE
 CUSTOMS LAW.
Carelessness in Making Out Customs Declarations-Variou Methods of Deceiving Revenue Officers Policy of Present Ad-
 Jli1lisfration

Policy of Present Ad-
 IniIlistration.
 (By William Loeb, IT,, Collector of Customs for the Port of New York.)
 (Under MT. Loeb the dues collect ed have increased by an average of $1,O0O,OO0 a week. In one month the dues collected from incoming travel CTS jumped $100,0O0 above the aver age. There has been much comment, favorable and unfavorable, concern augurated and this statement by MT. Loeb is therefore of considerable in terest.1
 (Exclusive Service The Survey Press
 Burean.J
 The chief difficulty in the enforce ment of the customs laws, as applied to personal effects accompanying American tourists returning from ference in a large degree on the part of tourists towards complying with the customs regulations Every pre- caution is taken by the Government to inform American tourists as to their obligation to declare such arti- cles as they have purchased abroad. The statute provides as to residents of the United States returning from broad that not more than one hum dred dollars in value of such articles shall be admitted free of duty. Print ed circulars are furnished the steam ship compan nies containing copy Of the law and specific directions as to how to make out the baggage de- aclaration and the procedure after ar rival. It isfineunbent upon passeng- CTS to enum crate the exact number of pieces of baggage, including all trunks, Vahses, boxes. packages and handbags of any description accom- panging them. They are required to mention all wearing apparel, jewelry9 and other articles; whether used or unused, on their persons, in their clothing or in their baggage, which have been obtained abroad by pur- chase or otherwise, with the foreign cost or value of the same.
 The declarations are distributed during the voyage, under the super vision of the purser of the vessel, several days before the arrival of the vessels, so that passengers have plen- ty of time to comply with the law
 A large percentage of tourists dis regard the instructions of the Treas ury Departme ent. Instead of care fully enumerating their foreign pur- chases, they either mention nothing. or group their purchases in such a way as not to put the customs au- thorfties upon inquiry as to what dutiable articles their baggage con talns. Accordingly. when fthe bag gage is opened for inspection, the in spectors have /great difficulty in as certaining what articles are subject to duty, as it is difficult, without dis very often to distinguish goods which have been purchased abroad from those which may>have been taken out of the United States, the later, under the statute, being free of duty, un- less they have undergone repairs, in which event, under recent regula4 | ton of the Treasury Department, the article so repaired is subject to duty on ftke value of the repairs only.
 Another difficulty with which the l inspectors are confronted is that the passengers are reluctant to admit l their foreign purchases, and frequent y they insist that articles which the | Espector believes to have been pur- ;hased abroad were articles taken put of the United States.
 Another perplexing subject is that of foreign residence. For many years ,oreign resident to be one who had | fixed place of abode abroad for a | certain. period, viz. one or two yearsSl in addition to such persons who were oona. fde residents of foreign coun- rles) thereby enabling Americans to ortng In their personal effects free 'f duty, without regard to value, pro- ,ided they had remained abroad for , specified period. This practice was serious detriment to the, revenue, n that there was much misrepre- ourists had resided abroad, and fur hermore, those. who might qualify n that connection would act as car- iers for mercantile houses and bring1 n under the guise of personal effects merchandise of great value, particu- arly wearing apparel Under the 'F0SGnL aQlnInlSLFaL1On the regulation 8 to foreign residents has material y been changed, so that now the only ersonS who are entitled to bring in heir personal effects free of duty, 7ithout regard to value, are those 7ho are foreigners or citizens of the Jn1ted States who establish to the of the collector that they re bona hde residents of a foreign ountry, 1t not being required that hey have a fixed place of abode, but nat they must have given up their es1dence in the United States and hey cannot have 8 residence both in his country as well as abroad.
 Another difficulty attending the uston1s procedure is that of under arin act $1o0 exemption is allowed nd in many instances tourists will epresent that their purchases have cen exactly $100, when in fact they ave made purchases amounting to vice that sum or more. Frequently Ills are presented purporting to now the actual price paid, but in nants and trades people abroad a abitually furnish to their customers alse bills with which to deceive the ustoInS authorities. The means en- loved under the present adninistra- on to protect the revenue is that hen fraudulent intent is clearly es- tbl1shed to not only proceed for saled or WilfuIly undeclared or un- ervalued, but in addition in az ravated cases to prosecute the Of 5nders criminally. WALDER
 IS CONGRATULATED. U