The Holbrook news., 1912-02-02

NAMELs. duty free or taxed
 specifically or ad Valorem,
 might pass through the eye of N needle with a deal more of
 ease than through the New York custom house. Rescuing ones own property from the clutches of Uncle Sam is a fearful experience. Expert knowledge and almost super human patience are required to pass goods through the government red tape factory, once they have landed from a foreign country, even though not a cent of duty is to be paid and all the laws of the land declare such goods have a right to enter without challenge. It Is well nigh impossible for an ordinary citizen to get goods out of a custom house in this port without employing an expert. A large amount of business Is done by pro fessional brokers" who devote their whole time to steering bills of lading and other documents through the cir cumlocution of the New York custom house.
 received from England recently a consignment of household effects" on which no duty was to be paid. Nat urally one would think that it was only necessary for the customs au- thorities to make examination. This is far from being the case. It takes as much time to get the bill of lad ing and consular invoice through the Bowling Green offices of the custom ka hA cr0ndo themselves of the slip and through the custom house public stores As a matter of fact, the actual examina- ton at the stores in such cases co cupies about fifteen minutes, and is more or less perfunctory. whereas the passing of the papers involves hours, and might take days.
 How to Go About 1t.
 When l received formal notification that certain household effects" had arrived for me from Europe and were at the docks awaiting removal" I presented myself at the shipping of fees in Broadway. With my bill of lading in hand, reinforced by a consu- lar invoice from the London repre- sentatives of this government abroad, I asked for a permit to be allowed to take the effects from the steamship. The agent looked at me in awe. He asked:
 Hadn't you better get a broker to clear this stuff for you?"
 What do I want a broker for?" I asked. Cant go down to the docks with a wagon and just get the stun. after a customs inspection7"
 "Oh, nothing like that in the world but still. if you won't have a brok- CT, that ends it. Take the bill of la- ding and go over to the docks with it; somebody over there will tell you what to do."
 On to the docks went. The clerk in the delivery office carefully exam ined the bill of lading as if he had never seen one before, and then look ed at me.
 Want a broker for this; don't you?" he asked. looking over his spectacles.
 Not much; if I can't get this my self, guess nobody else will. They said at the office you would tell me what to do.
 Who. Me? I have nothing to do with it. You had better go back to the office and ask for MT. B."
 In the Custom House.
 MT. B. shrugged his shoulders, di- rected me to the custom house and gave me a parting glance as if he looked with sad eyes upon one who was going to hIs doom. Just inside the rotunda of the custom house a horde of brokers stared hungrily at my papers. One or two asked me if I wished assistance. At the center desk on the left, in the big rotunda, l explained to a customs officer that I did not propose to employ broker.
 "Oh, of course, you don't have to have a broker" replied the officer. "Au you have to do is to go to MT. Bakers office in room 236 down the hall and ask him to give you an entry slip in duplicate; household effects oath; a memorandum of entry; and a free inspectors permit. When you have filled them all out correctly, you must have them lodged for entry, where they will be examined fo- er- TOT. If they are passed. you bring them back to the bond window, and get tho free permit checked. Then come back here and I'll tell you the rest"
 Here was a chance for a broker to get a job, but no broker came near. They were watching my downfall, H-ro- Mr Rabar S,,ppIfad v,. --skh