Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 November 1882 — THE CUSTOMS SERVICE. [ARTICLE]

THE CUSTOMS SERVICE.

Abstract ot the Supervising Agent’s Report. Su»ervis'ng Special Ag nt Martin, of the Treasury Department, m hi’ annual report for the fiscal year ending June 35,1882, shows that the amount recovered on account of seizures, fines and suits was $89,579; increased duties, •769.446; miscel'aneous, •12,15 >; number of seizures, 217; appriised value, 191,475’redu tion in expenses recommenced, $18,822; number of arrests, 54; number of reports received, 2,976. Of these reports, 58 relate to smuggling, 319 to undervaluation, 64t0 misconduct of customs officers, 182 t ■ seizures, 129 to inspection of customs distri' ts, 15 to suits commenced, and 2,2 i 9to miscellaneoqs subjects. The Supervising Special Agent says: “To secure more efficient and honest administration of customs service throughout the country, a consolidation of collection districts ana abolition of a large number of ports, at some of which there are no duties collected, and at others where the expenses are largely in excess of the receipts, would seem absolutely necessary, and in this connection it is gratifying to know that during the last session of Congress a bill for the consolidation of ail fees and giving the Collectors fixed salaries w s int oduced by a member of the House, who was formerly a special agent and familiar with the wants of the service. ” Respecting smuggling, he says: “Through the activity and vigilance of the officers of this service, assisted largely by locai customs officers, smuggling has been confined to very narrow limits. The seizure on the night of the 3d of January last of nearly a ton of opium valued at $26,C00, while an attempt was being made to land it from the steamship City of Tokio at the wharf of the Pacific Steamship Company, is the largest and mostimportant case of smuggling discovered during the year. It is reported that the business of opium smuggling on the Pacific coast has been carried on by an organized company, which includes capitalists, Custom House employe*, steam-hip employe*, local politicians and Chinamen. All customs officers suspected of complicity w.th smugglers have been dismissed from the service. On the subject of undervaluation, Mr. Martin says: ‘'lnvestigation has shown that, upon toe advice of an agent, foreign manufacturers often invoice consigned goods far below the cost of production. It is estimated that less than 40 per cent of the 60 perc ntum ad-valorem duty on s Ik is collected in consequence of the undervaluation of that article."