SMUGGLERS BOLD.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 171, 13 April 1908, Page 11

SMUGGLERS BOLD.

SOME AUCKLAND REMINISCENCES. i ' FEMALE DECEIVERS. , . ,' (BI TELEGRAPn.— , Auckland, April 10. • In a - special article a writer in the has somo cjiatty .matter rclativo to :smuggling. 110 says; ; for instance: In tho oldon days of New Zealand there flourished daring'souls to'whom alifo of adventure was as tho breath of their nostrils, and they smuggled largely, partly from a lovo'of adventuro, but also because of the not inconsiderablo profit to' bo netted from a successful'evasion of tho revenuo's watchdog. Then it was 'that whisky was taken out'of bond in largo quantities and run off. ostensibly to.'othor part Si.in schooners, but really sunk in/thb harbour moored to buoys; and smuggled back in boats at dead of night. A lucky capture and .1 few fines of-£IOO nipped this'proniising industry in tho bud, but not beforo thero wore somo spirited chases out in;'the open soa after tho-contrabanders. Tobacco ,was, and always will, be an article which lends itself :to smuggling.. There ' is always a duty on tobacco, and it is a commodity which, when- disposed of, tells no.'tales; and in. those days it was 1 smuggled,'not in paltry : half-pounds, but in' hundred-pound lots. . .. SCHOONER FORFEITED. ;l : One" of the 5 mostsuccessful. smugglers ..of recent dato had a schooner fitted up with .'lockers concealed behind panels. Ho v/aa caught -at Auckland' one night walking ashoro with a 101b. parcel of tobacco undor his *atm, and then Ins means of evading the' rovenuo were discovered. Tho result 'was a fine of £100 and. the forfeiture : of his schooner. v Smuggling 1 ; is /iiot, without - ■ its., humorous ■ Tho' story, is 'toldof one ingenious if dishonest individual, who reaped a-.con-siderable i harvest in ■ Auckland some years' ; a'gt>; from /supposedsmuggling' without'; any of the attendant risks. .It was. his custom to:,visit'-an hotel; usually at night, and draw : the'landlord asido, and'to him ho would ccn•voy; by-' m'ysterioiw hints " information . that; ' ho had a quarter-cask of ithd right stuff that had' never ipaid duty.. If the landlord lent, a :compliant - car 'a bargain: was' speedily struck, and the cask was brought in. When | - the-.victim, spilled,.'it after tho bold smug- . .- gler's;departure he discovered that ho had; . paid £5 for a barrel of puro water. Then would lie indignantly toss the .barrel out Mntd- the-vbacbyardj/.iv'hcro. the: "smuggler,'': anticipating such an event, was unobtru-sively.,'-waitiu2.' . : AVhcn the. landlord, went' V -iri'siclo'.'again' ; tlio ' barrel; was .softly hoisted .. ' oiltd - a waiting' cairt",: arid the same •• performahccv.\vas .repeated at. .some,.other ( hotel. , : The .:': success .of - this- '.was'.due .to the... fact' ... .tha r t :; the;' hot'elkeeperb L " victimisedwere im-; polled to a very natural reticence. ...... , WOifEN SMUGGLERS. ' .'.'.Ladies, ever alive to the; delights of a ' ' bargain,'.!:are : inveterato.'.vsmugglers,says, one' .writer, on 'thd. subie'et,. and ,the,> world- . vnde experience of Customs otßccrs bears out this ungallant dictum.' "Women-, are : tho principal: i smugglers," . said one... officer. " Only -a iyear .or two ago a. lady tried to got past mo .on the pretext' that I had examined herluggage a : dozen , times previously;. ■ 'You know: I have got nothing,', she said:'- I told .her Ldidn't remember her, and examined ,her luggage thoroughly. She hrid £20 worth of . dutiable plated'. goods • among her clothing. As she was a woman,' IVlbt.'-'her'jibff?■ .with'.''-the'.'payment ;of double . duty.'Another lady,' a, passenger .from • Syd • - ney^: was virtuously indignant, when stopped bjj-j tii.o l.tide'.; waiter'," .aiid:- declared .that she had nothing'dutiablo . in j her. possession.: - 'What is that round your neck?': asked the . ofßcer, as ho gently: lifted -a'string that she prqbably thought was safely .' hidden. -The i •v. string,.., % when':' brought i' to j-thc '.surface,; dis-' played : a catch' in" tho shape .rf tv.'ciity valu■V . ablo rings." v • -. •• "V •'" r ~ : . TIIE COLONEL BOWLED OUT. :. The -verdict of tho- Customsnofficial -la- that there is no scope in. Auckland,- at any rate, for.a big. smuggling; coup;'. An instanco of this was . the. experience 'of . an." American. Colonel, -who. arrived , in' Auckland with anunibor:df American, watches .concealed about ' . .hisipdrson,- and;' tried r to_• dispose, -of ' tliem locally: Tho first. jeweller to. whom ho endeavoured to sell one went and informed tho authorities', with the result; that the Colonel • was:stopped on the wharf when,llo returned . .that-night, 'and., fifty 'time-pieces; ■ were found on him. , The Colonel missed Ins boat, lost his watchcs, and paid a fine ot £06, whilo seven watchcs were subsequently bought, at auction by; a: jeweller.' Whether- -. tho • .purchaser.."was-.he who-gave tho mforma- ■ tion;-deponent-sayeth not.- •. - .. -'. . . .The principal trouble nowadays 15 . with second-hand /..bicycles,'':■] brought ;from ':Sydney : by New Zoalanders. These are liable, to a 20 jper cent. duty,.iunless they ,h'ayo; been in tho- possession of the owner for twelve months, and tho trouble arises 111 connection with' tho*'declaration of. valuo: • One cyclist ■ •tried to-bluff.'-ther'Custom's-by.-,'statinjg-,that's. , : ; high-class' racing niachind 'was .worth only £2. ■ 10a.,' but the official who had the- cvclist. 111 hand knew Ins business. : "Will:you take .£3 ,':...flQßjifor..Jjb'.how,;.-casli 'dovni he, demanded', plunging .his hand 111 his pocket. Tho •. .-cyclist.reluctantly admitted-'that he wouldn't, " and , pyentiiallythe valuo for pur- ■ poses].was appraised'at £15. . ~ -It'is:not the policy of aiiy.;Governmer.t to proseciite petty smuggler offenders,',if .such a course and;"as-a result, few ■: cases are,brought to Court.' Passpiigers.generally 'dcclaro their ! luggage coiiscicntibusly ~ enough," hilt, tlii-ough .unintentional'' and occa- • ' sioiially. ~intontidiial ■ oversight; l ' about£3o- - is collected at;Auc].land'from;arrivals hero for duty on dutiable articles which uro aot : "declared .''jntho' ordiiiary .v/ay.,