The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-01-20

big jolt few weeks ago. 1t was up
on landing here in New York after a
J short trip to Europe. l had been tray
cling on the continent, and, knowing
the strictness of the customs house
officers, had carefully figured my pur-
chases so that they did not exceed the
one limit which every
traveller is supposed to have free.
with head erect and the conscience
of an honest citizen, l walked down
the gangplank to the dock, expecting
to be rushed through without trouble.
1 was rushed through all right, but
not without trouble. My trunks were
gone carefully over, and upon the
very purchases l had declared l had
to pay over $40 in duties.
Among these was about $50 worth
of God Bless Our Home" German
linens. l mean the tablecloths aud
napkins with German notices en-
broidered upon them.
They were for my own use, and l
construed them to be on the free list
The inspector, however, told me that
all linen now pays 60 per cent, and
that on that little item the sum of
SIS was due. 1t was the same upon
other stuff of a similar nature, and
at the end Uncle Sam got $40 from
me before l dared to leave the dock.
That was the sum the government
collected from one honest passengers
baggage. 1t came from a recent con-
struction of the law, which has shut
out presents and certain special
classes of goods. And it had nothing
to do with the smuggling, which, in
the past, has cost Uncle Sam millions.
Indeed, the well-to-do, respectable
tourist smuggler is fast passing away.
Collector Loeb has him and her on
the run, and a righteous fear has
soaked into the souls of the hundreds
of thousands who annually travel in
Europe. AS 1 stood on the wharf it
seemed to me that the baggage of The
Individual passenger had perceptibly
shrunk. Men whom I have known
to bring back fourteen or fifteen
trunks are now content with one lit
tie steamer and a hat box, perhaps
while the average woman had bu
little more.
All the way over from Europe t.
New York the chief conversation OF
board was as to the customs officials
and the horrid way in which the!
went through your baggage. OBJ
served them go through other trunks
The work was rigidly done, and, as {
rule, without trouble to those who
had made an honest statement Of
just what they had in their baggage
Some few Jared badly, and among
these were two young ladies, who had
sewed the well-worn labels of New
York dressmakers inside their new
Paris dresses, and were trying to ge
them in free.
One short woman with a dubious
bosom was found to be padded witt
lace, and another, for whom the in
, spectors had been told to watch out
was taken off to a private room anC
searched from her crown to her toes
In such cases Uncle Sam has the
right to strip any of his nephews ant
nieces to the bare skin, and this il
sometimes done when occasion de
mands. Pearl necklaces have beer
found in the hair and diamond was
once discovered under the little too
on the left foot of lady, while some
!. valuable rubies were recently SNUG
gled into New York under a porous
paster on the back of a man. In this
latter case the spies of the Treasur!
:. Department had sent a warning t
= the inspectors and when this travele
he was an Austrian-landed a dozel
| red stones were found in his cravat
They were tested and it was discov
cred that they were not real rubies
The man was therefore let go, AM
cable to that effect sent to Europe
The spies cabled back that he be ey
amined again, and he was searche
at the hotel The porous plaster ha
disappeared, but a dozen little hole
s. in the skinshowed where the rubie
had lain.
came to New York this week {
e. investigate what Uncle Sam, patr
- arch, has really done in increasin
our custom house revenues. I hay
visited the wharves and have watche
the big steamers come in. hay
also spent some time at the custol
house where the collector of custom
- William Loeb, Jr,, has mad ever
source of information thrown open
me, With other things he has give
me a typewriter list of the crimin
prosecutions which have been mao