New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-10-28
CUSTOMS TO YIELD MORE
Expect 100000 Additional
from Travellers Alone.
NO ENTRIES TO ESCAPE NOW
Small Offenders Also To Be Made
to Settle-Duveen Case
Warns Importers.

How far the national deficit will be re-
duced by the application of stricter rules
in the collection Of duties is the problem
now occupying the minds of the customs
authorities at this port Both in the Sur
veyor's department. which deals with pas
sengers on incoming ships, and in the APP
praisers department, where the goods that
come in for trade purposes are assessed for
duty, there has been tendency in the last
year or two to apply the tariff law in such
a manner that all sums due under it shall
find their way to the Treasury.
There have been many exposures of at
tempts at smuggling. especially since Will
lam Loeb, jr., and General Nelson H.
Henry have been in the offices of Collector
and Surveyor, respectively, but they do not
pretend that they have stopped all free
entry OF goods that should pay duty. Most
of the exposures, they admit. have come as
a result of information obtained before the
smugglers left Europe.
The government allows each passenger
on a ship to bring 800 worth of wearing
apparel or jewelry for personal use There
are, it IS roughly estimated, one hundred
thousand first cabin and two hundred thou
sand second cabin passengers among the
arrivals In the port each year. These bring
$30O00,0G0 on which there is no duty at all
and at least $20,0O0,OO0 worth of dutiable
goods. The collections through the work
of the Surveyors department amount to a
little more than 100000 a month, but it is
estimated that the total duty for the year
on goods brought in by returning travellers
should be nearer 50, 100000 than 100000.
Circumspect in Examinations.
The danger of causing greater detriment
10 the business of the port by too severe
examination impels the inspectors and act
ing deputies of the Surveyors department
to exercise great circumspection in their
treatment of passengers. Even then, how
ever, many passengers exhibit considerable
Indignation when the examiners show tho
least inclination to question the declara-
tons prepared for the entry OF baggage.
While the attempts to bring in large
quantities of undecared jewelry and wear
ing apparel have been made practically
useless by the system adopted. there are
daily small entries which, in the aggregate
interfere TO a large extent with the receipts
which the government is entitled to obtain
under the tariff law. that pay nothing now
Means TO reduce the leak from this source
to an even greater degree are under con-
exercised now in the case of smaller Of
tenders.
Though the duties on baggage form an
important item in the receipts of the Treas
ury at the port the great source of reve-
nue. is that from merchandise received. As
a result of the action OF the government in
the Duveen case, offers have been received
from importers who have been cheating
10 1ar1f Nv e
ton of their entries to pay the duty with
held and the fine imposed by the govern
ment in such cases in order 10 escape
criminal prosecution. George w. Wan
maker. the Appraiser of the Port, has also
done much TO increase the receipts by a
closer application of the law
Work of the Appraisers.
t is not possible. at all times, TO get the
exact value OF impOrtations at the point of
shipment, though market reports are close
~ scanned and samples Of importations
are submitted to importers other than
those interested to get an exact idea Of the
value OF the goods. The estimates thus re-
ceived vary. in many instances. from TO
20 per cent, but they are generally such as
allow the examiners to appraise the goods
at fair rates. The increase in the appraise-
ment. however. has resulted in giving the
Board OF General Appraisers a great deal
more work. for as the appraisal becomes
stricter the number of protests grows.
In the year from July l, 1906, to June so
1857. the Appraiser added $780, 24S " to the
amounts entered for duty, making the total
appraisement for the year $50, O50. $50 o.. and
there were 20,2l2 protests against his de-
clsions In the next twelve months the
panic was felt. for the total merchandise
entered was appraised at Sll9. 733. 635 l.
which was S949, lSi 90 more than the import