SMUGGLING AT HOME.

Colonist, Volume LVI, Issue 13930, 11 February 1914, Page 7

SMUGGLING AT HOME.

A Chinaman was recently fin-eel for smuggling compressed tea into England, and interest is once more aroused as to whether smuggling really exists on a large sca'o to-day.

Investigations were made, and, after inquiries in.many curious places, it was discovered that while there are still smugglers—.and in London, too —they are so few ,and far between, and the "trade" is so bad, that the Custom-

;ouse is being cheated of very little,

A few years ago a handsome income could be made by smuggling saccharine

—that expensive white powder used in making sweetening essences and sugar

—but since the coming into being of the Saccharine Corporation, which controls every grain imported into the country, the smuggler has lost his market.

Saccharine could be rolled out flat

like a sheet of paper, and be bi-ought between layers of paper or concealed about the person, and innumerable

ways wei'e devised by East End Jews, who were the" chief offenders, to evade the Customs. It was worth while, too-, for the duty on it was £1 a pound, Women figured largely in this business, and on en© occasion a suspected lady, being told by a Customs officer that she would be thoroughly searched, took to her heels. But the receptacle beneath her skirts in which, the saccharine was hidden broke under the strain, and as she ran a stream of white powder trailed behind her. There is practically no saccharine smuggling now

Tobacco has always been fair game against the Customs man, and to this day small quantities come in duty free. That is chiefly through the agency of of memhers of ship's crews, who can find a ready market for it. But here, too, the> Customs are not defrauded to any great extent.

There is very little smuggling done in spirits or perfumes, for the Customs have a very thorough method of examination. Thotigh many are not aware of it, silk and lace are not dutiable, and the lady who recently paid high duty on perfume in order, as she thought, to evade the eagle eye of the examiner in connection with a quantity of lace, will 'be grieved to, learn^ that her artifice was unnecessary.