Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1910-03-03
new SMUGGLING
sClHHi EXPOSED
Customs omIeIaIs Fear Opium 10 Be
ING Transferred at eea-Trans-
pert Logan Discovers sus-
pieious LseI<Ins Japanese
Gala

Is opium being brought across the
Pacific by sailing vessels and trans
fcrred at sea to American vessels en-!
gagged In the coastwise trade and ex-
enipt from customs supervision when
they arrive at this port? asks the s.
i. Examiner.
The customs officials here asked this
question when the army transport 10
gan, which arrived here yesterday, re-
ported having encountered a small
boat 100 niles OF shore, In which
we're three japanese and one white
man, apparently an American. The
boat was sighted from the Logan's
bridge Friday afternoon. Believing
that 1t contained survivors from SOME
wreck Captain Stinson changed the
troopshIp's course and bore down on
the little craft. When within hailing
distance Captain Stinson offered to
take the men and their boat on board
the transport. His offer caused some
trepidation among the occupants OF
the small boat and the white man
FASTENED to assure the captain that
they were not in need Of assistance.
Answer Suspicious.
what are you doing out here?" in
quired the skipper.
There was q silence and then, as II
struck BY a happy thought, the man
in the, boat replied:
1--WE are sealing. There's our schoon.
er Oh to the westward"
There was a schooner there all right
and three other small boats were later
seen several miles away in different
directions.
The Logan's officers say that there
was nothing that looked like seal
hunting gear in the small boat and
when the matter was reported to the
customs officials here they evlnced a
keen interest. X,
The customs officials are certain
that very little opium has been landed
here from trans,Pacific liners or other
vessels from foreign ports. In spite
Of this fact the price Of opium remains
the same. The Ave tael tin Of opium
Is worth about $25 in Chinatown. In
Honolulu, where smuggling Is said to
be comparatively simple, 1t is worth
$40, and It brings $40 in Manila. The
customs officials believe that the Jap.
anese schooner seen by the Logan
might hold a solution to the mystery
OF tho local opium market, which, by
all rules Of the law OF supply and de-
mand, should be steadily soaring.
Watching for Confederate.
II the Japanese schooner was trying
to intercept some coastwise sailing
vessel with which, probably, arrange
ments had been made beforehand. they
would be likely to throw out a chain
of small boats and In this way com
mand greater range than would be
possible from the schooner's mast
head. Lumber vessels by the dozens
come here under sail from Puget
Sound. They frequently go much
further of shore than the japanese
schooner and its string Of boats were
seen. It would be no trouble to trans
fer ton or more OF the forbidden
drug at sea and there would be enough
profit In the transaction to bride al
hands and the cook to silence. TIT
five tael or half pound tin Of opium
costs about So in Shanghai or Hong
kong.
Arrived here the opium could b.
loaded on an express wagon an,
hauled up to Chinatown without fea
OF interference, as lumber coasters
except such as hall from British &C
lumbia ports, are given no attentiol
by the customs authorities.
As result Of the Logans report
which has been communicated
Washington, It is probable that a re,
enue cutter will be sent out to invest
gate the Japanese 'sealerH .f,,,,