The Detroit times., 1910-10-12

duties. pays the ex- 49,
penses OF maintain S<
ing the govern
ment. and at the
beginning Of each
session OF congress- -..s.-l
advises that body what money will be
needed for operating the governmental
machine during the year.
This by no means explains the full
scope of the activities OF the depart
ment. The war and navy departments
are expected to protect our frontiers
and shores from invasion by hostile
military and naval forces. The treas
ury department protects them from
the invasion OF tariff-dodging imports,
and the landing OF contagious diseases
from other countries. Through the
life-saving service. II looks after the
safety OF people ut sea: and through
the public health and marine hospital
service II looks after the health OF the
nation.
In dealing with the public credit. the
treasury department has to do with
one OF the most sensitive things known
to man. Not only Ia the public credit
affected by fact, but by sentiment. as
well, and the existence Of even an un.
warranted sentiment will produce facts
sufficient to Justify that sentiment. In
other words, no matter how excellent
the condition Of the treasury. IL a pan
icky feeling takes possession of the
people, 1t will cause the revenues 10
fall OF to such an extent that the
treasury Immediately will be embar
raised. The actual immediate loss oil
a hundred million dollars from the
treasury would not affect 1t az seri
ously AZ even the most unwarrantsd
panic.
The major portions OF the revenues
OF the government Is collected by the
customs and internal revenue services
Since the foundation Of the govern
ment approximately ten billion dollars
have come into the treasury through
the customs houses Of the country
Two-thirds Of all the customs bust
ness Is transacted at the port of New
York, where 1t costs two cents to col
lect each dollar Of revenue. There are
a number OF other customs houses
some located at important cities along
the coast and along the frontiers
while others are found at smaller
towns. At Beaufort, North Carolina
II costs fifteen hundred dollars to Coz
lect 31.55. and at Maryland port II
costs $1,000 to collect 81 cents. Ef
forts have been made to abolish these
small ports, but political influence has
thwarted them.
Elaborate precautions are taken tC
prevent smuggling. Men conceal dia
monds In secret holes In their shoes
women convert their bodies into huge
spools for rare laces or silks, or sew
New York or Chicago tags on Paris
gowns, In order to escape the pay
ment of duties. Vessel owners try u
land dutiable goods at places where
there are no customs houses. This
treasury department therefore mus
maintain a long string Of lookouts Il
Illustrate the attempts Of the SNUG
glers. The secret service keeps
card index OF every known smuggiel
In the world and closely follows MI
movements. Reports OF all big pur
chases Of jewels or other valuab.e'
are made TO the treasury department
and It's officers watch for them OF
every ship that comes into port. TIT
vessel that would land Its cargo else
where than at the ports OF entry mus
escape the eagle eye Of the rvenu'
cutter service, which patrols the coasts
of the country for the purpose OF de
tecting such violators Of the law. Al
the government receives advices o
tie c'earences Of all cargo boats iron
| foreign ports bound FOR America. TIT
chances of running the gamut success
full, are SO small that thee are com
paratively few violations OF the. Law
, fcrbiddins vessels to discharge thei
cargoes at other places than throug!
the customs house.
When q person comes into q por
of the United States the first officia
| to board the vessel Is the quarantine
| officer-a representative OF the treas
ury department If all on board have
| been in good health and there are M
complications, the visit Is not an I'm
pleasant one. But IL the vessel hal
contagion among its passengers o.
crew, detention at the quarantine sta
ton will follow and much inconven
fence results. When the vessel 4
locked and the baggage Of It's passen
gers unloaded, there Is a walt for tn
customs inspectors to so through II
To have ones baggage examined min
utely ruffles many people, especiall.
women, but as long as a large por
ton of the travelling public regard ]
as no sin to smuggle. such inspection
will have TO be endured by everybody
An inspector stays on the vessel a
long as II is In port. One week n
NAV be stationed on an ocean-goinl
palace and the next week on filth.
tramp, steamer. I.e must watcl
everything that goes on.
The internal revenue bureau Is tn
second best tax collector the govern
ment has. Its receipts amount to sew
eral hundred million dollars ever
wear. II was organized early In tn
history of the nation. What the banl
bill was at Philadelphia or the shill
ing piece at Lancaster, that was wits
XIV TO the town In Western Pennsyl
yania In 1891. A gallon Of good ~
whisky was worth exactly shillinl
piece, and constituted, so to speak
the coin Of the realm. In that year
tax of from seven TO eighteen cents
gallon was levied on whisky. and thi
tax led to the first resistance agains
the government of the United States
These violators of the law were tn
forerunners of the present generation