The Wilmington morning star., 1946-12-22
Could Not Perform Duties j
Efficiently Without Ref :.
erence Volumes
BY GIL SMITH
Staff Writer

belief that the huge VolullleS are
,ood only as decorating effects
md to lend Importance to the
room.
office where desks and chairs play
secondary role to the bookcases
lining the walls is the U. S. Gus
+oms Collectors domain.
While rumors fly hither and yor
That the books in this office are
onlv used to hide more risque
novels read by customs officials
when a slack season approaches,
the fact remains the encyclopedia
Ike volumes serve other purposes
offectiv ". Sometimes one leg OF
y able is shorter than the other
three and customs officials have
several hundred different slzeo
hoax, to choose from to remedy
tbo situation. The books ARE used
last time one entitled Synopsis
nj Decisions" a choice three inch
flick affair. was taken out of the
bookcase to be put to use, was
when one weary worker coulIn't
find the office footstool.
But. lest one think the volumes
are not important, despite their
dust : collecting existence, E C.
S0eao assistant collector Of Gus.
t0r7s here, enumerated several in.
stances where a muddled duty-col-
lector could not perform his job
efficiently without them.
For example, duty is paid on all
imported wool. unless it is used
for the manufacture of carpets,
lumbermens' socks, or web belts.
Whv these three products are ex.
eapt from import charges is not
clear, and not even a weeks pc
rusal of all the books in the
customhouSe c a enlighten the
puzzled inquirer.
But, the celebrated case of the
importer who posted bond guaran.
teeing his wool would oe put into
production of carpets, and Their
had some of it thrown overheard
when the transport ship ran into
trouble, will not be forgotten 500:
by local officials. Duty was col
lected on tne part of the shipment
supposedly lost, but later salvaged
by another firm, which might
have made wooden hankies, for all
the federal men knew.
Books come in handy in cases
like this, Snead explained, as he
opened an 1875 edition Of "Treas.
ury Decisions" and brushed the
dust off his vest.
All cases p r tested by i'm.
porters, and taken to the courts
for decisions, are listed in the Will
mington custom office for refer
ence, in order to make life easier
for the collector.
The famous issue of 1872, wher
an unidentified customs worker
changed a hyphen to a comma,
cost the U. S. government SO, 900,
600, before Congress found time te
correct the mistake. 1t seems. &C
cording to one of these importan'
records, that tropical fruit
p*es' entered the country with
out charge, but the villainous
c-c.k in a helpful mood decided
TO make it read. Tropical fruit.
plants See that comma
Well, three million dollars worth
Of protests went to the Supreme
court from importers who de-
clared the law said tropical fruit:
and plants had no duty charge
and the government lost every
case. Two years later Congress:
threw up its hands, and amended
the law. Now try to get a tropica.
nut In without paying. Just try
Inc government has So, 1000, 900 K
get back.
onead has to refer to the books
whenever an unusual item is i'm
ported here. If there is no produc
OF that type listed in the severa-
million pages lying around the Of
lice, the enumerated item tina
most closely resembles the incom
ing product is used to collect the
per cent of money deemed cor
!ecl. onead explained this, point
ing out if the article has two close
" resembling items listed. the cnf
which nets the government the
most cash, is used.
suppose a shipper imports /;
rare type saw. It's circular, bu
ae teeth are On the inside, ane
~ used for cutting grass. Sneae
uecldes whether to call it a saw
VI a lawnmower, depending OF
which article will bring the mos
money to the government. Thu
soVefnment has to build up grea'
reserves Of money il case some
one, someday, misplaces anothe.
comma.
II 1890 some unknown custom!
o.lclal charged duty on pink col
ueo neWsprint, and raised a hull
aoallco because the importer sale
ae%sprlnt should = 0 t be charge
sole' pink or any color. The i'm
poIIer Won out too, and the court
leaaered a decision that the colo
0'oh change the law.
some very famous people have
"oFked In customs Offices, ane