SOCIETY SMUGGLERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 1514, 9 November 1912, Page 2 (Supplement)

SOCIETY SMUGGLERS.

NSW YORK CUSTOMS. AN ARMY OF COLLECTORS. Amejucax Customs officials declare that many returning travellers Landing At New York suffer from the delusion that they are landing in England, and can disembark just what they like without paying tribute. The enormous army of inspectors vhich battens upon, the ships en arrival iU'5 doing their best, by a careful search Of! trunks, boxee, and even ladies' handbags and gentlemen's pockets, to destroy the delusion that free trade exist# there; but the fact remains that the, average 1 voyager sees no shame in beating Uncle ! fern's tariff," Arrests follow arrests, and i idictments indictments; but still the smuggling, though diminishing, flourishes. Mrs. Ambrose Kingsiand, a well-known New York society woman., is the latest victim of tho American Customshouse. &he landed, bringing from Europe all ports of pretty things-r-things you cannot buy in America except at an enormous price. ( According to the Customs authorities, [ Mrs. Kingsland declared wearing apparel to the value of only £230, and. they are holding £6SQ worth of gowns and lingerie Maiding the production of proof by Mrs. nijgsland that these goods were taken ivom New York by herself when {he wont .- broad, and are therefore wempt from ■*«'.! iff. . MY. Loeb, the port collector, formerly l iicretary to Mr. Roosevelt at White House, say* that he will indict the lady if he finds that she baa really smuggled the articles, and will possibly confiscate her twentysix trunks. Mr. Loeb is the smartest port collector in America, and having been a ship news re Dorter in early life knows every wile and strategem adopted by his countrymen to heat Uncle Sam's exorbitant tariff. In the meantime travellers and im« porters view with ill-disguised satisfaction that there is a prospect of some of the Customs officials, called appraisers, being compelled to take si dose of . their own medicinc. The Federal authorities lately ordered that the investigators, meaning the appraisers, should be themselves i. veatigated. It is alleged that their sys- I tern of valuation, or lack of system, has ; been responsible in a largo measure for the I Cuftoms troubles of America's greatest ! port. There is no desire on the part of ■ the authorities to unearth old scandals ! but they recognise somewhat tardily that the importers, as well as the Customs oßicials, are entitled to justice, and that this is impossible without fair methods of valuation.