WEALTHY SMUGGLERS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3212, 11 June 1909, Page 7

WEALTHY SMUGGLERS.

Mr William Loeb jun. formerly secretary to Mr Roosevelt and "now collector of Customs for the Port of New York has of late been successfully operating against the smuggling of Paris-made dresses into America.

Trunks containing gowns worth £IO,OOO have been seized, and it has turned out that a number of wellknown people are involved. The names of thusa have not yet come out, but it is stated that three of the five trunks seized bore the name of Miss Nellie Grant, of San Francisco, a grand-daughter of the l~te President Grant.

It appears that the smugglers were in the habit of using the names of ladies, selected by chance in most cases, in order 10 hide their own identity so far as the labels on the trunks were concerned, and that this mode of operation has been in vogue for a long time to the great loss of the Customs. In this case Miss Grant has denied all knowledge of the trunks labelled in her name.

Mr Loeb now makes the remarkable announcement that he has been offered by a firm of solicitors, who say their clients wish to remain anonymous, £20,000 if the investigation into the identity of the smugglers is forthwith dropped. There is a duty of 60 per cent ad valorem no dresses. There is a penalty of up to £I,OOO for each smuggling offence, and the smuggler is liable to be sent to prison up to a term of one year. The goods are seized by the Customs authorities, and case they are to be offered for sale at public auction within a iew weeks.