The Washington herald., 1910-09-13
SMUGGLING OF JEwELRx.
Good Authority Says II Doesn't Pay
Even When Successful.

Good Authority Says II Doesn't Pay
Even When Successful.
From the New York Sun.
Notwithstanding the recent seizures
Of struggled jewelry in this port Maiden
Lanes anti-smuggling committee says
that the smuggling Of pearl and diamond
jewelry is even more enormous in extent
than has been suspected generally. So
Maiden lane Is now telling a few secrets
OF the foreign jewelry business and
hopes to convince the public that It is
always Improbable to smuggle. and
especially to smuggle pearl and dla-
mond necklaces.
The committee asserts that Americans
lose by buying the jewelry abroad
Runners employed by jewelers. of Paris.
London. and other cities TO bring trade
to the stores are said 10 be responsible
for large part OF the smuggling. These
men get commissions on sales and gen.
orally pose as wealthy tourists and some
times as members Of the nobility Of one
country or another
Some foreign jewelry houses employ
American runners who meet their fellow
countrymen, and these are said 10 be
among the most successful OF all who act
in this capacity. While ostensibly travel
Ing for pleasure or to see the sights the
runner always knows a bargain or two
that can be picked up in the way Of a
string OF pearls or diamonds or some
other kind Of jewelry in which he finds
that there is an interest on the part Of
the travellers. When he guides his friends
to the store where the sale is to be made
his secret commission on a fine necklace
may be anywhere from $1,000 to $4,000,
and even higher amounts are said TO
have been paid when the necklaces have
been especially expensive.
Smuggling stories are told by the
runners to show how easy Il is to run
the customs lines. The tourist gets the
idea that a small fortune can be saved
by not paying the so per cent duty on the
cost Of the necklace. often amounting TO
thousands OF dollars. Yet the tourist
gets the worst Of the deal all around
according to the wholesalers OF Maiden
lane. who are now trying TO make the
public look at II their way. It is said
70 be common knowledge In the trade
that the American tourist pays from 10
70 40 per cent more for jewelry IN Europe
than Europeans do. This Is because the
merchants so frequently pay commits
sions 70 the runners or secret statesmen
and also because Americans are supposed
TO DO more wealthy than other travellers.
It Is a mistake, say the jewellers OF
Maiden lane, 10 suppose that the tourist
saves 60 per cent IN duties II he succeeds
in smuggling a necklace or other piece
OF jewelry. The 6O-per-cent duty is coll
lected only on completed necklaces and
iewelry, but the Identical articles are
brought here by dealers in uncompleted
forms on payment Of a duty Of 10 per
cent The dealers bring in the pearls
and cut diamonds in loose lots and jewel
~ generally IN parts.
The 90 per cent duty. according to the
dealers. IS really for the public or people
outside Of the trade. as a jeweler never
pays IT, he can always import the arti-
cles he desires IN such form that 10 per
cent is all the duty demanded.
At the very most. therefore, say the
Maiden lane dealers. the smuggling
tourist can really gain only 10 per cent
OF the cost of jewelry abroad. and this is
more than onset by the excessive prices
that he pays in Europe.
The wholesalers hope that the tourist
public viii soon realize how Improbable
is the smuggling OF jewelry even when It
is not detected. At the same time the
anti-smuggling committee viii continue
TO cooperate with the customs author
tiles in trying to catch smugglers.