The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-01-03
DODGING THE LAW
By FREDERIC l. HASKIN
I.-SMUGGLING

the costumes authorities concluded
that they were to be used for single
strand. An expert put them together
and found they had been perfectly
matched and as a matter OF fact, ala
constitute "A 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 un'
strung pearls. but the question was
whether they had been selected To
constitute 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 IL
was appealed to the supreme court or
the United States, and that body de-
cided that the presence or absence or
the string Itself perhaps costing
dollar or two. is the determining fac
tor as To whether 100000 lot or
pearls shall pay $4,000 duty or $GO.-
600 duty.
Dressmakers are the principal vio-
lators of the customs law. The ex-
tent 10 which the sleepertrunk frauds
were carried sufficed To rob Uncle Sam
or millions OF dollars OF duties. These
frauds needed only Il little conspiracy
between 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 IL
reached New York the steamship con-
spirator would have IL unloaded and II
would remain unclaimed AS the
steamship agents supposed they hal
listed II with the passenger the funk
would not be included in the manifest
of the second ship. A drayman, call
ing in the night after the customs au
thorities had LETT the pier. would re-
move the trunk, and the rest was easy.
No one Will venture TO say how much
this class OF smuggling costs the
| United States.
All sorts of tricks are resorted 20
by professional smugglers 10 get
their wares through the potrs without
| paving the import toll. One man con-
| fessed that he had smuggled thou
sands OF dollars worth OF diamonds
! in a coffin which was supposed TO con-
tain the corpse Of his brother. Snug
/ glers have been caught with secret
cavities in the heels OF their shoes.
Women have been discovered convert
/ ing their bodies into huge spoois.
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
a smuggler transformed himself into
a 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 back for luck. put his
hand on the back of the seemingly
/ afflicted traveller He concluded that
, the bunch was not real and ordered
the man examined. The lump proved
to be a package OF diamonds.
At the customs houses 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 IL 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 OF art
/ ie tho nrice mark vaIues his daubS at
thousands of dollars. The government
has no other alternative than to ac-
cept his valuations. When he at
tempts TO make sale he points 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 year. and to send them back to
Europe II they are not sold at the end
of that time. after paying duty OF
one per cent.
Toc,orrou-Chinese I'm m ar alton.