Omaha daily bee., 1911-12-17
Watching SmuggIers at Ports Big Task for Uncle Sam

to collect what - really cue TO our own
Uncle sam. ! believe this to be the case
with Collector Loeb. He Is running tho
customs as business institution and his
only requirements OF his employees are
efficiency and honesty.
The Collector aud Hts Job.
During my talk with the collector to-
DAY asked him az 90 his work. Tie
replied:
IAN I have attempted 20 do Is to take
this place out OF politics and administer
IL on the plane OF honesty. good govern
ment and In accordance with the laws
l did not make the laws. I am here
only to enforce them"
These are remarkable statements from
a man who holds an office which In the
| past has been one Of the chief political
plums OF the president. II has been one
OF the best paying offices under the gov
eminent, and the one most fought for,
When Garfield became president II was
the appointment OF the New York coll
| lector Of customs which caused the break
between him and Conkling, and Il was
that which drove Conkling from public
/ life. and which Indirectly caused the
assassination OF Garfield by the villain,
Guiteau
Twelve VhOueand ". = mhh"ns
The collector OF customs now receives
a fixed salary. He gets $1,000 . month";
or, as n whole, tia,0oo year In the
past he was paid a commission OF 10 per
cent upon all compromises and fines for
under-valuations Since Mr.. Loeb took
office the amounts collected OF this nature
have footed up more than $1.0OO.OOO and
al the old rate his commission therefor
would amount to more than E.GoOO.
This represents a wonderful increase,
and also the detection OF many frauds
that have been going on for years one
was that Of the sugar trust, whore, in
round numbers, about Ss,SOo,OOO worth OF
duties we're collected, and for which Ons
OF the investigators received q fee Of 500 (
900 from the government for his expos
ton Of the frauds and the detection Of
the criminals
, The story OF that fec was publisheaI
/ and since then. Mr.. Loeb tells me. many
people have sent in information as to
other. frauds. hoping to be paid for aid.
ing the government in that way. The
! total fines and penalties for fifteen year.
preceding Losb's appointment averages
! only $4,000 per year. E
The Custom House spies.
i aakeo MIN WhoInoT Aha phNheAoo v
American travellers In Europe had tausa
off In consequence OF the rigid colectisi
OF duties. He said:
: II have no figures or gtatiHtics relatini
to that matter. but from many Of tn
leading merchants OF Europe who hav'
been accustomed to sell to America
: travellers understand that their bushes
has fallen off enormously, and that sOm
OF them have really been closed up fron
: the decrease In such purchases. The prob
ability IL that an enormous amount o
goods which was formerly bought abroai
is now bought at home We know tina
: tho purchases are surely much less tha'
they were ana we also know that III
duties paid are very much greater. i
: 1907 the number OF passengers who cam
In from Europe was n little over $500
| and the duties collected were. In rounI
!. numbers, slss.oOo. In 1909 the passenger
we're only few Thousand more, but tn
: duties collected were more than double'
!, and in 1919. within passenger list OF abor
:, $4,000. the duties were more than u,T6
!, 900. This year they will probably ri
d over $4,000 ra
y FRANK O. CARPENTER