New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-18
LOEB THINKS CRITICS
POTENTIAL SMUCGLERS
Those Who Cry LoudeSt Against
Official RigorS Would Be First
to Offend, He Says.
DOESN'T EMPLOY SPIES
information About Contraband
Abroad Comes to Him Through
Treasury Agents in Eu-
rope, Collector Asserts.

Are New York customs officials mon
sters? Are travellers Inundated by
baggage inspectors on the piers of this
CITY 10 an extent that is unequalled in
any other port on the globe? Does
rigid inspection of baggage foster
smuggling, as some peppery critics Of
Collector William Loeb, jr, maintain?
These and other inquiries were an
swered last night by Collector Loeb in
an interview with a Tribune reporter.
The Collectors defence Of his tactics
MAINLY indicates that he is conscious OF
a duty to perform. Since he is EN-
Moved by a government which has
deemed it wise tosenforce duties on nu-
merous importations, he has an old
fashioned conviction that a job that is
worth doing at all is worth doing we'll
As for the rest, he smiles patiently
sood-naturedly even-when an old
friend comes back at him.
Collector Loeb has been on the job In
this port four years. In that time he
has seen the collections on personal
baggage mount up from 100000 to
900. And that. he says, is only
4 part Of the general programme OF re-
form which he has worked out for
Uncle Sam. But such marked in
crease in the amount Of duty paid on
personal baggage in four years was not
caused entirely by the increasing popu-
larity Of European shopping trips on
he part Of f. hionable Americans. Mr..
Loeb rather modestly admits that IL
shows in a large degree that Uncle
sam is getting a bigger share Of his
legal dues than he has in times past
Has humcl nature changed a great
deal in :-our time, Mr.. Loeb?" he was
asked. The Collector nodded his head.
Can't Play Favorites.
Suppose" said he, that I should
take the advice of some Of my critics
and establish a system Of discrimina-
ton by saying whose baggage should
be opened and examined and whose
should not. No doubt there are many
excellent men and women in New York
and all over the country, some Of them
friends of mine, who make a truthful
declaration of their effects. Indeed, the
majority Of them do. But suppose GER
tain of these were placed in the exempt
class. How long would it be before I
would have a new set Of critics, who
would be crying corruption?
NO, it isn't possible to make fish Of
one and flesh Of another in collecting
duties or in examination of baggage,
either. 1t used to be that way, and l
have no doubt that many Of those who
cry the loudest about having their bag
gage examined on the pier are among
those who were permitted to escape in
days gone by. In a nutshell, my
friends who seek to make monsters Of
the customs men in New York, as COM
pared with those in England or in
many of the tariff countries on the
Continent, plainly do not know the sub
jet.
Il will be pleased at any time to re-
ceive them in my office. and Will be de-
lighted to take them through the Gus
toms department and show them all
that has been accomplished in securing
increased efficiency and honesty in this
port. I believe that what they find will
stand out IN marked contrast with the
methods in vogue in previous admin
situations.
Comparisons Not Fair.
at is useless to compare our methods
with those at Liverpool for instance,
where practically free trade exists.
Duties in Liverpool are collected on to-
bacco, spirits, tea, silver plate and
list Of other articles brief enough for
the inspectors TO rattle off by word of
mouth. We have to be on the lookout
for dresses, diamonds, furs and host
Of flneries invariably concealed among
other personal effects in trunks, hand
bags, etc.
Il may say that the duties on spirits.
tobacco, tea, silver plate. etc, are not
50 likely 10 Inconvenience the same
class Of travellers in England as some
times cry out against the inspection
methods in New York. In England the
duties DO not induce smuggling among
travellers. In America the duties al
most spell smuggling-unless rigid in
spection is enforced IT is almost 100
obvious TO say that inspection must be
rigid and impersonal. IT must be done
thoroughly or not at all"
Collector Loeb has been attacked be-
cause he maintains that the same
methods Of baggage inspection as OBJ
tains on the Canadian border is not
applicable to the Port OF New York
While inspection has been more
rigid on the border I'm the last few
years than it has been during previous
administrations, IL is not possible even
nov to be as thorough there as in this
port" said Mr.. Loeb. There is COM
Daratively little travel over the Cana
dian border. Compared with New York
The traffic is almost nil. Yet there are
number OF smugglers constantly at
work on the border. Travellers have
been caught with dresses, diamonds,
furs In their personal effects. Every
body recalls the case OF Franz; Par ..