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

wits used ~ dodge tue custoHls an"
revenue laws oi the countr! are
worthy OF better cause. IL costs
millions To collect the import duties
levied by The government. ana every
hit of merchandise must be examined
rs carefully as ii there were reasons
to suspect an attempt To dodge the
uayment Of duty. Even minister ol
the gospel must make has declaration
end have his baggage examined WHEN
hc comes iuto port OF the lhltea
States.
The present crusade for the com
plete humiliation OF the smuggier ne
gan with the exposure OF the sugar
tlust. That corporation with It's ram
Gus seventeen holes in an iron hook
was able to dodge the customs laws
In such an extent that il has been
forced TO pay the government S3,ioU,'
600 as restitution. It's method Oh
operation was To have a secret hole III
the mechanism oil each OF the seven,
teen scales on which the imported
sugar was weighed. With an IRON
hook il was able To make each bag Oh
sugar register much less than It's &C
tual weight. An involved conspiracy
was essential To the proper WORKING
of the scheme, and ii was only aiteT
many years that IA government oInciai
detected the trick.
While the money value OF smuSsleu
goods brought into the ports or the
United States is greater on gooos
which come In through underVaiua
ton and other schemes, the larger per
cent OF smugglers are people VINO
bring in goods as passengers arrl'i"s
from foreign ports. Formerly ie"
people regarded it as dishonest 10
make false declarations as 10 thelr
baggage. Not only did they smuggie
bv means OF false declarations, Du'
they brbed the officers into COLLISION
with them Wealth and political Ill
fluence were usually able TO hush up
any discoveries The less influential
classes felt that II wealth and inhu-
ence could smuggle and go unpublished
there was no reason why they 100
should not do likewise
The government has changed all
this To-day the port OF New York
is collecting about four times as much
from incoming passengers as former
". Al Bos,o the collections swell
ed in few years from $4,000 TO Sl'-
SOC, 900 per year. Much or this Is
due 20 a stricter enforcement OF the
law and to breaking up oil the sleeper
trunk frauds. But the MAJOR portion
Of IL arises from the mora enect Oh
the present attitude OF the govern
mcnt. Incoming passengers nave
learned that the customs authorities
regard il as criminal 10 make Ia'se
declaration. and that prosecution is
bound TO follow attempted eNaslons
III the law. WheD George b. CoTtie-
YOU was made Secretary OF the Treas
ury. one OF the first things he did
MAS TO place declarations in the hands
Of passengers long before they arrlf-
ed AT port The average tourist pre-
ferred TO pay duty rather than make
voyage across the ocean with a
guilty conscience as hls chief com.
panlon.
One of the favorite articles or the
smugelers' trade is the diamond. Al
thoueh uncut stones are permitted TO
come into the country free or duty,
cut stones are taxed heavily. The
mos, accomplished diamond Snug
gler in the history OF the country
was o Belgian, who bought his wares
in Antwerp. Amsterdam, Paris ana
ondon. He had a brother in New
York and made frequent trips 10 that
city. Although the customs authorl-
lies suspected him for many years
they could not obtain the necessary
evidence To arrest him. He would in
variably come over TO the United
states on a certain ship. returning
on its outgoing trip, always secur-
ing the same state room. The only
evidence that could be obtained
against him was the fact that his
trother always had diamonds TO sell
after one OF these trips. But inspect
his baggage as often as they would,
the customs authorities never could
End trace OF a stone. At last, however,
the two brothers fell out. and The
one in New York Informed the GUS
toms house OF his brothers method.
He always was accompanied to the
steamer BY his brother when he sail
cd on his return voyage. A. no one
thinks OF watching an outgoing ship
for violations of the customs law, 1t
was easy for him TO take the diamonds
from their hiding place in his state
room and hand them to his brother
lust before the vessel departed.
When William McKiniey's COLIN was
being lowered into the grave at Can.
on Ohio. every wheel OF the gov
eminent stopped for FIVE minutes, and
although the customs inspectors were
IN me midst OF an examination OF pas
sengers' baggage on the piers OF New
York. everything stood still for the
.nnointed time. While this silence
vas being observed Il customs In.
snector noticed Acknowledgement
man whose silk hat appeared to be
!, lntle top-heavy. He accidently
knocked il off with his cane, and a
whole HATEFUL OF fine silverwnre
dropped out. Upon another occasion
. man came down the gaug-piank,
clothed i'm the garb OF clergyman,
carving in his hand what appeared
N no an orthodox edition OF the Bible.
al went well until he happened to
stumble and fall. A secret spring an
.,is pseudo-bible vas Embossed and out
rolled a large number OF diamonds.
Pearls come into the United States
as precious stones. dutiable at 10 per
cent when unstrung When strung
they are classed as jewelry. dutiable
AZ so per cent Some years ago there
was a steady importation OF pearls and