| Show WOULD RECOVER 40 MILLION lOSS LOSSU LOS U S to Tighten Upon Snuggling Smuggling of Merchandise n Hy fly IL COIF X On Correspondent of ot The le Standard Copyright 1926 Consolidated Press Association WASHINGTON Aug 14 A K special drive to tighten up IP the tho holes loop holes through which dutiable merchandise from foreign coun- coun countries countries countries tries Is entering th the United Untied States State without the formality of ot payment ot of customs tariff Is being plan plan- planned planned planned ned by the treasury department with the possibility that the rc- rc suits may help lighten the bur bur- burden burden burden den of ot tc federal taxpayers by swell swell- swellIng swelling swellIng Ing Uncle Uncle Sams Sam's surplus Special Instructions recent recently were Issued the customs forces regardIng returning tourists Oth- Oth Others Others ers of ot broader scope and aimed at deliberate attempts to defraud the government are being drafted dratted and will w go so out soon These Include alignment re-alignment re of ot the special agency personnel and closer close operation co-operation co thousands of ot potential In- In informers Informers formers LOSE 40 MILLIONS 1 YE LY Experts have stated that In one onway way and another Uncle Sam Is los los- losIng losing losIng Ing about a II year that he should be receiving at the cue cus- customs is custon-is toms tome ports Much of ot this n noney Is lost through unintentional un- un under valuation der-valuation of ot merchandise The ThO customs force torce is entirely too small all to handle adequately the vast volume of ot Imports which are flood flood- flooding floodIng Ing Into the country lio s necessarily must be hasty under ordinary conditions Congress Con Con- s-ress s voted 17 for tor col- col collection col collection lection of ot the tho customs during the present fiscal year Last year wIth a somewhat smaller appropriation customs receipts were nearly the tho highest In the history of ot the country lL It has been estimated that for tor every ever additional appropriated for tor the tho purpose nd- nd additional ad additional In revenue can be collected collect collect- collected collected ed Cut But while doing the best pos pos- possible possible possible sible under the circumstances to see that proper valuations are as- as assessed assessed as assessed against declared imports the treasury is preparing to tire fire II a few tew sl special shots at the modern smugglers Felt FOK PRO There Thero Is a II dual reason of ot course why attention should bo bl paid the lie merchandise smuggler Uncle Sam Is Interested not only In col- col collecting collecting col collecting the customs tax fixed by bylaw bylaw bylaw law on Imported goods but fur tur- furthermore fur furthermore he Is Interested In pro pro- protecting protecting ro- ro honest merchants against the competition of ot the smuggler As a matter of ot tact fact smuggling does not exist In some somo lines com com- commonly commonly commonly supposed to be subject to that It-that that Is to any great extort Furriers of ot the country recently became aroused over reports that many fur Cur coat coats and wraps pur pur- purchased pur- pur purchased purchased chased abroad being entered 1 by returning tourists without pay lay payment payment ment ot of dut duty It was discovered however that the customs servIce every year ear detects hundreds o of cases case where here citizens purchasing furs abroad have havo not declared thorn them tor for duty on returning to the country and collects what Is due More than 99 per por cent of ot such cases are caused by the tho mIstaken Impre impression slon that It Is to purchase abroad and to brIng In without payment of ot duty art art- articles art cles ot of o wearing apparel which have lave actually been worn by the tho owner Actually the lawful limit ot of such free duty entries Is 1 00 Certain foreign merchants rather encourage the Idea that there is 13 no limit COSTLY D Some furs are arc smuggled Into the country an and 1 sold hero here to innocent purchasers Many ot of them are arc detected later and later and then the In- In innocent In Innocent purchaser finds that Uncle Sam claims the fur tur that he or she Is subject to a fine fine and that the fur tur ur can be retained only by payIng the tho government its value plus the duty plus whatever pen pen- penalty penalty pen penalty alty the circumstances appear to warrant Such bargains prove l tre tremendously costly In the end That's a sad feature oC ot this smuggling business It business it Is seldom that the real culprit Is discovered or can be reached but In hun hun- hundreds hundreds hundreds ot of cases each year the innocent In- In Innocent in innocent purchasers purchaser suffer utter S PA TO INFORM The several everal thousand case cases de dc- de deeded eded each year ear are going to bl be multiplied It if the treasury's plans plana are as fruitful as ns It Is hoped the they will prove Provo to be Besides the sev- sev several acv cral e eral thousand customs nt at the ports port Uncle Sam has ha a 1 spec spec- specIal special spec spec-al Ial secret service Ice force of ot about men to ferret terret out customs about frauds about 30 of ot them known n as special agents being stationed abroad 1 But the tho most valuable tips In many lany cases come from private private vate sources Interested In protect protect- against unfair com com- competition competition petition Such Informers Informer are en- en entitled entitled cn titled to 25 per cent of ot the pen pen- penalties penalties cities assessed In a single sincle case cali last year Involving Jewelry the penalty exceeded and the thc Informers received 1 This Informal secret service guarding the customs Includes include thousands of ot merchants merchant In all parts par partI I of o the tho country many t of whom never claim any reward when they turn up a live case Without disclosing any secrets lIt It Is sound advice that you OU buy I your our Imported bargains only from rom a ii rel reliable ablo established dealer |
