Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 January 1891 — OPIUM SMUGGLING PAYS. [ARTICLE]

OPIUM SMUGGLING PAYS.

The Govfifment Defrauded of 5700,000 a Year, Ottnw* special. Special Agent Corliss, of the Canadian Customs Department who has just returned from an official trip to the Pacific coast, stated to tho World correspondent that he doubted whether the ‘United States Treasury fully realized the extent to which their revenue was being annually defrauded by the opium smugglers in British Columbia and along the frontier. While it is not his business to interfere, he was not blind, Ire saitU to the fact that there was not a day that a large quantity of refined opium was Hot smuggled across the border from some point in Canada. “Look at it in this way,” said Mr, Curliss. . * ‘The trade returns of Canada show that there is an annual importation of 100,000 pounds of crude opiunt-from China, upon whieh Canada collects $1 per pound. This is imported by the various Chinese manufacturers, who refine it in their British Columbia factories. This crude article yields about 75 or 80 per cent, of refined material. How, this, 75,000 pounds would be more than sufficient to keep the whole population of Canada continually under its influence, and it is estimated that the demands for local consumption would be satisfied with 5,000 pounds. The question then is, where does the residue of 70,fKK) pounds go? " l

, ‘The export returns show that not a pound was legitimately exported from Canada last year, and the natural inference is that it is smuggled across the border at various points Into the United States. Taking the United States duty at $lO per pound, that means a clear,, steal of $700,000 annually from the United States Treasury. i “But the smuggling is not by any means confined to British Columbia. It is practiced all along the line. Only a short time ago, while I was trying to run down some smugglers who were operating along the frontier in the eastern townships of|Quebec. I came across a suspicious looking wagon, well loaded, as I supposed, with contraband goods that the two men in charge of the conveyance were smuggling into Canada from the United States. I gave chase, and they, supposing that I was an American officer on _ their trail, whipped up and escaped. Following them up, I stumbled on to a large packet of refined opium, which gave me a clue to the game they were try ing to work, and as it was against tho United States and not against the Canadian customs they were operating, I ! let them slide. “There is hardly a point along the frontier Where the smuggling is not practised. I could name a man in Ottawa whom I know to have -smuggled recently 600 pounds of refined op : um into the United States from this city. The smugglers only laugh at the United States customs official. On my way West last week 1 stopped over at Delorme, a Manitoba town on the frontier, and I saw a lot of the stuff there ready to be run across. The Lake of the Woods is another favorite spot for operating from.” When asked by your correspondent whether there was any possible remedy Mr. Curlisn said: “The most practicable way would be for the United States authorities to employ ten or fifteen reliable Chinamen to obtain employment in one of the ten or fifteen refining factories in i British Columbia and watch the pro- j duction and keep track of its move- | mem, until they could put the United j States officials on the trail, who could I then follow it to its destination. The - only aid the Canadian Government j could give would be to prosecute tho manufacturers for exporting without j reporting to the customs authorities, but it is always difficult to prove that they have exported.” .