The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-01-03

the costumes authorities concluded
that they We're 10 be used for single
strand. An expert put them together
and found they had been perfectly
matched. and as a matter OF fact. did
constitute q string OF great value. IL
was held that the mere presence or
absence OF the string did not deter
mine whether they were strung or UNI
strung pearls. but the question was
whether they had been selected tO
constitute a single string. On this
theory. the customs officials levied
duty OF $4,000 on them. The i'm
porter took the case TO the courts,
and the lower courts affirmed the de
cision of the customs house. Later it
was appealed To the supreme court OF
the United States, and that body de
cided that the presence or absence og
The string itself. perhaps costing
dollar or two, is the determining fac
tor as TO whether IA 100000 lot OF
pearls shall pay $4,000 duty or s6c.-
900 duty.
Dressmakers are the principal rlo-
lators OF the customs law. The ex-
tent 10 which the slecper-trunk frauds
were carried sufiiced TO rob Uncle San,
OF millions OF dollars of duties. These
frauds needed only little conspiracy
between "A person on each side of the
Atlantic and a steamship official. A
trunk bearing the name OF some rich
or famous American would be- sent
to the pier OF the departing steamer
too late TO be carried on the outward
voyage. The next ship out would car
~ IL as delayed baggage When II
aoha ha al
sprator would have IL unloaded and IL
would remain unclaimed AS the
steamship agents supposed they hal
listed il with the passenger the tank
would not be included in the manifest
of the second ship. a drayman call
ing in the night after the customs au
thorities had left the pier. would re-
move the trunk. and the rest was easy.
No one Will venture 10 say how, much
! this class OF smuggling costs the
| United States.
All sorts Of tricks are resorted TO
| by professional smugglerc 10 get
their wares through the ports without
payin. the import toll. One man con
| fessed that he had Struggled thou.
sands OF dollars wort. of diamonds
in a coffin which was supposed 10 con-
| tain he corpse OF his brother. Snug
glers have been caught with secret
cavities in the heels OF their shoes
/ omen have been discovered convert.
| ing their bodies into huge spools,
wound round and round with precious
! laces and rare silks. Others have con
cealed diamonds in their hair or Sc
creted dutiable belongings in multi
tude OF secret pockets. In one case
smuggler transformed himself into
bunch back. When he arrived az
! New York a man who was going To
the race that day. and who wanted 10
touch a bunch b;ck for luck. put his
hand on the back Of the seemingly
! afflicted traveller. He concluded that
! the "hunch' was not real and ordered
the man examined. The lump proved
/ 10 be a package OF diamonds.
! At the customs houses a piece or
/ goods may be linen today and cotton
( tomorrow. The law provides that tex
/ tiles shall be rated according TO the
/ classification of their ingredient OF
principal value In the fluctuations
OF the market linen thread may be
worth more one day and cotton thread
more the next. The manufacturers
make goods which are approximately
half linen and half cotton and If linen
is up they will come In as linen. lf
cotton is the higher they will be rated
as cotton.
! Not all goods are brought into the
/ United states on under-valuations, or
even as low as their real value. dis
| honest importer of paintings, knowing
that there are a great many rich Am
/ orleans whose only knowledge or art
| Is the price mark. values his daubs at
! thousands OF dollars. The government
has no other alternative than to ac-
cept his valuations. When he at.
! tempts 10 make sale he c.nts with
pride to the fact that even the Gus
toms house put high value upon his
! wares. This very often clinches the
! bargain He is permitted by the gov
eminent TO keep his paintings in bond
| for a year. and 10 send them back to
! Europe II they are not sold at the end
OF that time. after paying duty OF
one per cent.
Observation-Disclosures hmm ior atjop