The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-07-02

In the pamy days all the enterprlsinG' smugger
had to do was TO make double set of invoices
fraudulent and in this manner hundreds of thou
sands Of dollars worth of goods passed under the
nose of the port officers Another way 10 consiGn
goods to wrong persons to bring them in under
false entries Some took advantage of the former
years residence abroad" rule and escaped large pay
ment of duties But the special agent and radical
alteration In the methods of the Customs House have
since embarrassed those enterprsing individuals
sIderably.
When the present day smugGler buys anything at
all, whether in Japan. Mexico, France or where he
WILL the fact is known ut In Washington Con
seoucntly when his goods appear in port for entry
they appra Sed his valuation. but according
to their present market value In the place where he
bought them Goods unclaimed go to the Ap
praisers Store within twenty four hours. Every In
dyidunl piece of baggage shipment must be tai
lied and one year residence no longer fills the bill
A residence of years Is required-on ordeal that
not many smugglers to endure.
Vast Sums Forfeit
The value of forfeited goods In this port last year
was more than 100000 This by simple civil
proceedings Since April / 1909, criminal suits have
uetted the government in fines SG2.335 The seizure
of I've sleeper trunks early In that month the be-
ginning of n long series of similar for SNUG
clers while the revelations and prosecutions in
necton with the sugar frauds was OF one Of
the biggest items of the years business And 1T was
all due to the growing perfection of the whispering
gallery methods Of the government.
Before the matter was taken adequately In hand at
least million dollars worth of dresses and dress
goods was smugged into the country by the sleeper
trunk devices. 1t was finally found that II baggage
-,.,rl tT.6
crate operating In Paris at the bottom of the
trouble and were working with certain dreSSmakerS
The sleeper trunk" method is very effective one
or was In its day. Baggage containing the dutiable
goods was allowed to lie unC aimed and finally would
be taken the pier of steamship that had just left
ere ii would be claimed by some one who said he or
abe had Just missed" the recently departed vessel
The person was allowed to cart the baggage away
without further examination; thing no longer pos
siblc.
Tile practice of claiming two years foreign resi-
dencc is now checked by the perfect tab kept on
certain persons and all the other tricks of the trade
are anticipated with equal certainty and simply
by attention to 4 myriad of details from every part
of the globe
And yet, considered from the point Of view cf the
special agent his task is one of appalling difficulty
American tourists dockinG to Europe at the
rate of five thousand first class passengers week.
md this been going since the middle of April.
Mediterranean travel was unusually heavy earlier ia
the season and the total OF first cabin tourists prob
ably will to sixty thousand 10y the time tue
aSon-ls well under way.
These tourists will spend in the OF their
whirlwind tour through Europe about SIS 900
They will scatter. and even now scattering from
Norway TO the Nile. A thousand scents VIII be picked
M here there and everywhere. The volunteers.
eager for their share. the lookout. and all the
others up 10 the ranks of the polished tourists.
looking about with watchful eyes. In the Rue Simons
of Antwerp, the Hoiborn Viaduct of London the
Rne Paietier of Paris. clew may be picked up
among the lapdaries and Jewellers. ana sIaghtway
down goes into a book the things Uncle Sam wants
TO know Mr.. Jones' OF Indianapolis purchases
uncut diamond; Mrs. Smith, OF Memphis received
ruby pendant gift from her brother; Mr. White,
the Importer spent four days in diamond esab-
lshment, but far as could be learned took no
jewels away with him. Possibly tourist might get
Mr. Whites confidence in the matter. And so on.
eudcssly.
Rubcns has been picked up In n peasants cabin In
Scheyenlngen Mrs Blank, society leader in Phla-
dephia has purchased largely ut certain shop IL
all goes IN the book-wbcre the Bosic reads il with
his one big eye-ond one and all they to grief
These tourists. says the government nre return
Ing millions poorer than at the time Of their exodus
and this reacts ON the American merchant. who has
a right TO be protected from the double loss
AS TO those who. without any special malice afore
thought, fall unwarly into the governments inevL
table snare there Is really little excuse for them
The pursers on board all the big steamships have
plenty OF government literature the subject.