The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-02-24

3. Beware Of shopkeepers VINO OF
Ter fake bills Of sale TO be presented
at the American customs house, Use
of these bills Is likely TO get you into
trouble,
4. Beware Of the foreign "bargain."
1t is not always what 1t seems.
5. Don't try to beat the American
customs.
6. Follow the honest and safest
course of shipping your purchases
openly at actual valuations directly to
your residence, paying duty upon re.
.ceipt Of them. There is port or sub
port near every American home.
\ WASHINGTON, Feb. 81. = Chief
John A. wilkle, OF the Secret Service,
WHO is nov also in charge OF the spe-
tial agents ior the customs service,
and who has made commercial and
polite smuggling, in !; this country as
dangerous as ocunterfeiting, after q
long and varied career as a chaser Of
newspaper, stories and. ,ilater, Of
crooks, blossoned out today as nm
adviser. 10 the fair SEX on shopping
worthy of a prominent place on the
woman's page.
Dainty Things for the Dressing Ia.
BILE" or "Seen in the Shops for Dain-
ty Femininity" would hardly be APP
proprlate headings for the chiefs col.
umn on the womar's page, however.
A headline right to tile point would
be: 'fHoT, to Buy Things in Europe
and Keep 'out of Jail"
The chief has recently returned to
Washington from q trip to Europe in
the interest Of the customs service.
While there be observed shopping con.
ditlons as applied to American tour
istsGhow those who wish to smuggle
go ABOUT 1t taiId get into. trehblel iaad
how good inten toned folks aredtytc.
tlmlzed by shreEd shopkeepers into
becoming Innocent smugglersa (but
also getting into tr0uble1-and to-day
he made to the United Press the fol.
lowing observations: ~
When shopping abroad be caretu
of taking up Bargains goods which
the seller wants you to buy because
you can egt them so much cheaper
than in the United States because OF
the city through American ports.
These bargains are not always what
they seem. III tell you story to Illus.
trate. 6'i ~
"a prominent citizen of a iarge1e east.
erh city of the United States reeshtly
visited Canada. At the hotel where
he and his wife were stopping they
saw handsome display of lace gowns.
The lady was charmed. The seller
gave the usual argument OF cheapness
because of no duty. The man bought
n gown for his wife. paying $500 for it..
"They smuggled II into the country
By packing tin among other clothing
and not declaring it at the custom
house. "A month or two later the vie
wore the gown to the bridge club and,
like most smuggling ladies, she could
not keep the secret, and she boosted
about 1t. One of her dear friends told
the local collector, who told the spe.
cial agents, who called and seized the
gown. Tears from the lady. Wild3lan.
guage from her irate husband. IN
THE first step after seizure wasoto
appraise the gown TO Ok value basis
for assessing the. duty: The gown was
submitted to half.a dozen experts In
the lace trade And here Is the point:
of'the six estimates ofthe gowns val.
uei the highest was SIS and the lowest
500. The value of 81 for finally fixed
and the dutyof 60 per cent. OF $42,
was paid by the husband. 2As" a pen,
atty the husband was required to pay
the gowns value. or $50. So the $40
dress cost him $512, and the question
of criminal prosecution against both
husband and wife is still pending In
the Treasury Department.
"Innocent people. ignorant OF the
tariff law, are often ylctimized by for.
eGn shopkeepers telling them there
are certain periods when the tariff is
suspended on certain articles at GER
tain times. The tariff law works all
the year round. But the Montreal fur
swindlers ylCtimized many AMERICAN
school teachers and others last sum.
mer by having them leave orders for
goods which could be made mp Just In
time for the period in the fall when
the full duty,ls suspended OF course,
there is no such time and sor course
Tie victims were forced to pay tho
duty IN addition to the huge prices
charged by the Montreal dealers.
staEvery returning traveller Is allow
edE$1OO exemption on new goods for
his personal use brought in his per.
scadl baggage. II therefore follows
that everything sent by express
through the customs must pay duty.
Anyone buying fur In Canada SHOULD
figure on paving 80 per cent. duty IN