Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-12

covered such a long period OF time. In
the San Francisco cases 1t seems that
sugar imported from the Philippines,
used in fruit and then exported after
ward, got a drawback as Java sugar.
These frauds, too. are claimed to be
extensive.
The duty Of administering the Gus
toms laws devolves upon Secretary
James F. Curtis is directly in charge
OF the customs service, and he handles
all questions relating to that branch.
Next to Mr.. Curtis is Charles P.
division in the Treasury. who has
had more than twenty years active
experience in the conduct of the de-
tailed affairs of tariffs and customs
matters. It is under his direction that
regulations for the conduct of the Gus
toms revenues are prepared, and it is
only when general questions of policy
are to be decided that Assistant Secre-
tary Curtis or Secretary MacVeagh are
called upon for advice.
In the division presided over by Mr..
Montgomery are handled questions re-
lattng to the control of the customs
service. classification and. appraisement
of merchandise, drawbacks when any
are due, fines, penalties and forfeitureS
in cases Of smuggling or other irregu-
larities; all matters relating to copy
rights and trade marks, especially as
applied to books and other literary
IudIl0T COIillHB INTO Tic tIlllou SldIeS
through the malls; cooperation with
the Department of Agriculture in pro-
hibitfng the importation of impure foods
and drugs into this country; all matter
that comes through the mails and par
cells post: special Investigations, such
as frauds, etc. All these and many
more are handled by the customs di-
vision of the Treasury Department with
a total force of twenty-eight employees.
In speaking Of the many different
frauds exposed during the past two years
Secretary MacVeagh says:
1.-The sugar frauds We're found to cover
in one forne or another, nearly all OF the
sugars coming into the port of New York
The total recovery of unpaid duties will
amount to more than So, 100000. The ex-
iStence of such extraordinary frauds at
the port of New York, involving corpora
tons Of the largest and most responsible
kinds, has been such revelation as to
throw doubts and suspicious over the en-
tire customs field and cause us to investi-
gate and overhaul in all directions.
"FolloWing the developments in the
sugar frauds came the discovery of the
large, constant frauds in the importations
from many of the Mediterranean ports.
The sugar cases and these Mediterranean
cases led to many important prosecutions
with great success.
Shortly after my appointment as Sec
rotary of the Treasury it became appar-
ent that it was absolutely necessary to
correct the palpable vices of the system
controlling importations by steamship
passengers. Unless the importations by
passengers could be made honest and
unless the customs service could be made
to prevent this conspicuous class of SNUG
Cling. 1t would be hopeless to attempt to
set the rest of the business of the port
upon a proper plane. If the government
should show Indifference to a notorious
instance like this and to the notorious
decentralization of it's service here where
every one saw it, it would be idle to go
further. 1t was not simply that tourists
were violating the law, but that these
Irregularities opened the way for pro-
fessional smuggling.
THE whole situation had become de-
moralized. Genuine passengers and pro-