Show tariffs customs houses had peculiar beginning the first tariffs and customs houses began in a queer way long years ago when the great rivers were the principal arteries of commerce bierce in europe strong men who wis wished hed to live by preying on the industry of their neighbors built their castles or forts on the banks of the rhine the danube and other rivers and levied fines or tol tolls Is on all the commerce that passed up and down these natural highways in time this lawlessness became a custom hence the name customs houses after a while kings thought this would be a good way to raise revenue and they adopted it at the same time abolishing or greatly curtailing the activities of the freebooters bo oters later still governing bodies took over this method of raising revenue excluding by law all others and while the system was inherently bad this change removed some of its evils because the public got the money thus raised or most of it however keen sighted covetous persons never lost sight of the personal advantages that might be obtained through the manipulation of tariffs hence the continual pressure and the skillfully devised arguments brought to bear upon all governments to make the rates as high as possible |