Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1912-02-17

AMELS, duty free or taxed
specifically or ad valorem,
might pass through the eye Of
W a 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 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 foreign country, even though
not cent of duty is to be paid and
all the laws of the land declare such
goods have right to enter without
challenge. 1t 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
consignment of household effects" on
which no duty was to be paid. Nat
urally one would think that 1t was
only necessary for the customs au-
thorities to make examination This
is far from being the case. 1t takes
as much time to get the bill OF lad
Ing and consular invoice through the
Bowling Green offices of the custom
house as 1t does to get the goods
themselves Off the slip and through
the custom house public stores AS
matter Of fact, the actual examina-
ton at the stores in such cases oc-
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 II.
When l received formal notification
that certain household effects" had
arrived for me from Europe and were
at the docks awaiting removal"
presented myself at the shipping Of
fees in Broadway. With my bill OF
lading in hand, reinforced by a consul
lar invoice from the London repre-
sentatiyes Of this government abroad,
! 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 broker to
clear this stuff for you?"
What do l want a broker for?" I
asked. Cant / go down to the docks
with a wagon and just get the stun.
after customs Inspection"
"Oh. nothing like that in the world
but still. If you won't have brok-
er. that ends it. Take the bill of la
ding and go over to the docks with
1t; 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 II he had
never seen one before, and then look
ed at me.
Want a broker for this; don't
your" he asked. looking over his
spectacles.
Not much; II can't get this my
self, guess nobody else will They
said at the office you would tell me
what to do"
Who! Me? l have nothing to do
with IT, You had better go back to
the Office and ask for Mr.. B."
In the Custom House.
Mr.. B. shrugged his shoulders, d.
rected me to the custom house and
gave me a parting glance as II he
looked with sad eyes upon one who
the rotunda of the custom house a
horde OF brokers stared hungrily at
my papers. One or two asked me II
7 wished assistance. At the center
desk on the left. in the big rotunda,
! explained to a customs officer that
! did not propose to employ a broker.
"Oh, of course. you don't have to
have a broker" replied the officer.
"All you have to do is to go to Mr..
Bakers office in room 236 down the
hall and ask him to give you an entry
slip In duplicate; a household effects
oath; a memorandum Of entry; and
s free inspectors permit When you
have filled them all out correctly, you
must have them lodged for entry,
where they will be examined TO- err
nor. II 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 Job. but no broker came near.
They were watching my downfall,
know. Mr.. Baker supplied me with