The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1947-04-03

-~@C ~~A(A A[A ~ AA0NG 0EEAA HULL
fled the article will still prove OF
interest to Lincoln County citizens
1t appears as written and set in
type last week.
There will be a heyday for SNUG
glerS along the u. S.-Canadian Dor
der if action now contemplated by
the U. S. congress goes into actual
operation. Orders have come out
from Washington that the u. S.
customs patrol shall 60 out of ex-
istence after March %. That is
why many men who are acquainted
with the work of the patrol believe
that smugglers will have a glorious
time if the order disseminating the
patrol goes into actual effect.
A recent Washington dispatch in
the daily press told of this con-
templated action. It is being taken
because of the laudable attempt to
cut down governmental expenses.
But many are saying this action
would be mistaken economy. Be
cause they are confident that in
stead of saving money for the gov
eminent, it would result in a con-
siderable loss of revenue that is now
going into U. S. Golfers.
It appears that the national house
of representatives has taken action
that will cut off funds required for
the operation of the customs patrol.
If the writer is correctly informed
the bill in question is now in the
U. s. senate. Just what the final
outcome will be is not known as
steps are being taken to induce the
senate to reconsider this conten-
plated step of disseminating the
customs, or border, patrol as it is
sometimes called.
Why do many consider it would
be unwise to discontinue the Gus
toms patrol? There are numerous
reasons for that conviction. It
should be borne in mind that the
patrol is a revenue collecting agency.
Through the long years it has ser
we'd the nation, it has been instru-
mental in collecting millions of dol
lars in revenue that otherwise would
not have been collected We I'M
derstand the attempt at this time
is to cut off an expenditure of S.
5O5, 900 needed for customs patrol
operation. What would that mean?
First let it be understood that it
would remove 200 customs patrol /
men from the Canadian border,
from the Atlantic TO the Pacific
coasts. The ports of entry would
stiu be stated by customs men but
1t is understood it is planned to
reduce, to some extent, the number
Of employees in the various ports.
But what could the men in the
few ports of entry do to prevent
The hundreds of miles
Of open territory along the U. S. r
Canadian border would be open to
unrestricted smuggling, so say the
men who have given TINS matter 7
AS one example of what might
follow if the patrol is discontinued.
The average price for flax in Can
ada is $500; in the United States it
S $500. One can imagine the
there would be to run
lax across the border for the $500
price. The same would be true in
aspect to livestock Attempts are {
being made frequently to smuggle s
livestock across the border, even |
With the patrol watching to pre- :
,ent it. What would be the result {
{ there were no patrol? Farmers 7
nd stockmen are already concerned
nd are wondering if they will have (
o face Canadian competition when ]
nd if the patrol goes off. c
This is only hint of what might c
lappen, according to students of the t
ituation. This is why they say G
-iscontinuing the patrol would be
or false, economy. For t
hey believe the patrol saves to the S
ation in collected revenue much r
1ore than it costs the nation. AS n
n example the incident is related p
f the patrol being responsible for s
he collection of $3,500.00 in duty in c
wo months in one county, from at
empts to smuggle across the Dor Il
er. Numerous instances can be s.
elated of the patrol preventing n
and of collecting revenue a
here attempts are made to snug t
lie. Il
The patrol also does highly val a
able work in helping to prevent Il
ne smuggling of narcotics across r.
he border. With no patrol, the
eAASA CTS "a AAAAACc VI OOIQCA WOuAu
e open to that nefarious business.
It is said that the 200 men COM 7
osing the patrol are all veterans N
ither of World War I or World =
Far II, some of them veterans of Z
9th wars. Many of those veterans
ave gone into the service because
icy like the work and for the
.curity it provides. Some have
ought homes and are engaged in
aging for them. Orders now come
1T from Washington that gives
lem one weeks notice of the ter
ination of their jobs. This will
can a real hardship for many of
lose men. The order says the
atrol is to be discontinued on
arch %, tomorrow.
Those who question the wisdom
disseminating the customs patrol
the congress for the at
mpt to economic. However, they
ii to see the wisdom in discon-
nuing a service that brings a great