CUSTOM-HOUSES

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ceiving  cases  short  of  their  invoiced  contents.
Complaints  to  the  authorities  did  not  remedy
matters.  Finally  the  thieves  became  bolder
and  the  thefts  more  extensive,  many  merchants
being  offered  their  own  goods  for  sale  at  prices
less  than  they  originally  cost  abroad.  Concerted ­
  diplomatic  pressure  was  brought  to
bear,  and  an  investigation  promised.  The  day
before  the  official  hearing,  the  entire  block  of
custom  houses  involved  was  burnt,  a  strange
coincidence  being  that  the  four  car  tracks  in
front  thereof,  were  occupied  with  loaded
freight  cars  so  that  the  fire  engines  could  not
get  near  enough  to  stop  the  conflagration.  All
records  were  thus  destroyed  and  nothing  could
be  done,  the  loss,  involving  millions  of  dollars,
falling  as  usual  on  the  foreign  merchant.
Pages  could  be  filled  with  similar  data.
All  of  our  consular  offices  are  cognizant  of
these  outrages,  yet  nothing  definite  has  been
attempted  to  stop  them.  No  matter  what  precautions ­
  the  exporter  takes,  or  how  closely  he
follows  the  shipping  instructions,  his  customer
can  always  be  victimized  by  these  scheming