OUTWITTING THE CUSTOMS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16456, 18 June 1921, Page 8

OUTWITTING THE CUSTOMS.

HOW IT IS DONE IN FRANCE. ■War has evidontly sharpened the wits of the Frenchmen in and around Pans who make a practice of bringing produce of various kinds through tho city gates. As the price of necessities, especially oil and wine, steadily rose in Paris, some of the drivers began to scratch their heads and wonder if they couldn’t devise some innocent-looking receptacle that they might take through the city gates, every day right under the very eyes of the inspectors and vet not bo caught m the act of smuggling taxable goods. Accordingly they began to exeicise all of their inventive genius, and presently thev had evolved many queer receptacles that varied in capacity from a few quarts to several gallons. Ihe men at the octroi stations (writes George F. Paul in tho “ Scientific American 5 ”) were deceived tor several weeks by the boldest of these men. He was always very cordial with tlie officials, nnd sought to win their good will by giving them tobacco and other presents from “time to time Presently rumours reached them that ho was smuggling oil into the city every day. This put them on the alert, with the result that the following day when he appeared as usual with, bis innocent-looking load of timber, they began to tear it all apart. ]p. vain did'lie protest that he was late even then and that ho simply had to hurry on. This only made them the miore determined to go through tho whole load. Presently they came to five boards that were nailed together in a manner that aroused their suspicions, and on examining them closely they found that the top board simply covered an opening through which a tin receptacle nearly fire feet long could be passed to the snug place of concealment hollowed out for it. The driver, who had been very indignant and blustering up to this point, became very meek and penitent when several gallons of smuggled oil were confiscated. While this examination was in progress, one of the police noticed that the horses wore remarkably large and peculiar collars. He ordered the driver to remote the collars from the horses’ necks, and when this was done it was discovered that the collars were hollow and'sn fitted up that! they could hold oil. Needless to say, tlie* career of this particular man as a smuggler ended that day. This experience seemed to arouse tlie inspectors at all the city gates. They almost turned waggons and carts upside clown in their efforts to detect anv smuggling. One of their first hauls was a magnificent funeral wreath that seemed uncommonly heavy. When some of the flowers were removed and a tap unscrewed, three jags were filled with the wine that was being smuggled through. Some abnormally large cabbage heads were examined closely; each contained nearly a_ quart of wine in a flat flask hidden in the heart of the cabbage. _ Rolls of cloth also aroused the suspicions iof the inspectors. These rolls were found to have genuine cloth, at the ends so as to present the proper appearance, but in the middle was a handy receptacle capable of containing several bottles of wine or oil. Even the cushions on which the drivers sat were pressed into the smuggling service. Of course .they were made hollow, and filled with flat tanks that were not comfortable, but the drivers did ttot care, so long: as these cushions proved money-makers.