CUSTOMS TROUBLES.

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 February 1909, Page 1

CUSTOMS TROUBLES.

J The wealthy Americans who make annual trips to Europe are constantly having trouble with the Custom's authorities at New York. They carry hack with them thousands of pounds worth of dutiable goods. Some of them forget to make the necessary declaration, some of them undervalue the goods, and some of them try to smuggle the goods through withoul paying duty. Recently Mrs Gardiner, a wealthy resident .if Boston, recovered possession of art treasures valued at £16,000 which had been seized by the Customs authorities. She had acquired these treasures in Europe and had left them in the care of a friend in Paris. This friend took the articles to America, and.

instead of declaring them in their proper form, thoughtlessly invoiced them as household effects.* The Customs authorities, of course, discover- ! ed them, and Mrs Gardiner had to pay £2BOO in duties and had to fur- ! feif the goods. After months of lili- ! gation Mrs Gardiner has recovered possession of her treasures, but only by paying their full value. Not long ago a Mrs Leeds had to pay a 60 per cent line on the value of pearls worth £60,000. Other lines of magnitude are those levied on Mr C. M. Schwab j of £9OOO. ami on Mr W. Gates of £3OOO. Wealthy ladies apportion as

much of (heir wardrobe as possible iunnni> their maids wlien returning | from Europe, and pay duty on the rest. Only (hose who have lieen abroad for the first time seek to bribe the inspectors to pass their trunks. The inspectors rarclv see a bribe

big enough to tempi them, eince I>,\ n running rule of the Treasury, when iv'uds are confiscated and sold at miction they receive 30 per cent of (lie sum realised Only recently one Customs inspector in New York, after seven years of service, retired with a fortune of £50.000, received as prizes from the Secretary of (he Treasury. II is ,■> mailer' of daily occurrence for wealthy South Americans to be fined huge amounts f.,r endeavouring to pass the Customs with thousands of cigars in the innocent Iwlief that if one cigar is extracted from a box, no duly is charged.