whereupon the official superior shall direct such employee to report for questioning, as desired.

(b) Customs officers and employees shall disclose any information in their possession pertaining to customs matters when requested to do so by a customs agent, and shall answer any questions put to them by customs agents.

Art. 1384. Reports to collectors.-Officers of the customs agency service, upon the detection of any violation of the customs revenue laws, shall immediately report the same, through the customs agent in charge, to the collector of the district in which the violation occurred, and forward to the bureau a copy of such report. Reports on criminal cases that must go to the United States attorney may be addressed to that official and given to the collector, to be forwarded by him with his approval and a copy shall be forwarded to the bureau.

(U. S. C. title 19,

Art. 1385. Investigations abroad.-(a) Customs officers R. S. sec. 2999. desiring investigations abroad shall submit their requests sec. 15.) for such investigations to the Customs Information Exchange, 201 Varick Street, New York, N. Y., with the exception that at Pacific coast ports urgent cases requiring investigation may be referred direct to the Treasury attaché in China or Japan, through the supervising customs agent at San Francisco, Calif., or Seattle, Wash. (b) Investigations in foreign countries shall be made Tariff act 1930, under the supervision of Treasury attachés accredited to such countries, or, if there be no Treasury attaché in a country, by representatives of the State Department.

(c) Investigations in Canada, Mexico, Cuba, and the British West Indies will be conducted by the supervising customs agents in charge of districts adjacent to the territory in which such investigations are made.

Art. 1886. Cooperation with other customs officers.— Customs agents will cooperate fully with the local customs officers. They will not interfere with the administration or regular transactions of the customs business. Irregularities discovered by customs agents capable of being dealt with by the local customs officers will be brought to the notice of such officers immediately and a report made to the Bureau of Customs. Other irregularities that may be discovered will be reported promptly to the bureau.

sec. 649.

T. Ds. 41609, 43246, 43368, 43434.

T. Ds. 42933, 43256.

T. D. 40850.

Art. 1387. Customs Information Exchange.-(a) The Customs Information Exchange, located at 201 Varick Street, New York City, will be used by the customs service as a medium to disseminate information. Decisions rendered by the bureau and department and circulated by the Customs Information Exchange will be binding upon customs officials. Other information that may be circulated will be considered as advisory only and not as controlling the actions of customs officials.

(b) Information relative to values and classification shall be sent to the Customs Information Exchange from time to time, as provided by T. D. 43246 as amended by T. D. 43434.

Art. 1388. Reports of transactions.-(a) Each supervising customs agent and Treasury attaché shall make a report to the Commissioner of Customs at the close of each fiscal year, showing in detail the work performed in his district during such year.

(b) Other reports may be called for from time to time by the deputy commissioner in charge of investigations. Art. 1389. Accounts.-Instructions governing the payment of salaries and of expenses incurred by officers and employees of the customs agency service are to be found in T. D. 42140 as amended by T. D. 42386.

Art. 1390. Restrictions.—(a) Officers of the customs agency service will confine their activities within the limits of the district to which they are assigned. They will not go beyond such limits without authority from the Bureau of Customs, except in cases of emergency when it is impracticable to obtain such authority. The facts in such cases will be reported to the bureau immediately.

(b) The time of officers and employees of the customs agency service during business hours will be devoted entirely to the public service. Private employment inconsistent with or interfering with the performance of official duties will not be sanctioned.

(c) Officers and employees are not permitted to disclose information relating to official business unless authorized by the Bureau of Customs.

1395. Examining board-Membership 1402. Customhouse brokers as attor

and procedure.

1396. Issuance of license.

1397. Licenses for more than one col

lection district.

neys or agents for claimants before Treasury Department. 1403. Representation by attorneys or agents.

Art. 1391. Licenses for brokers required-Qualifica- T. D. 44337. tions-Regulations authorized.-Tariff

section 641 (a) and (d):

act of 1930,

(a) The Secretary of the Treasury may prescribe rules and regulations governing the licensing as customhouse brokers of citizens of the United States of good moral character, and of corporations, associations, and partnerships, and may require as a condition to the granting of any license, the showing of such facts as he may deem advisable as to the qualifications of the applicant to render valuable service to importers and exporters. No such license shall be granted to any corporation, association, or partnership unless licenses as customhouse brokers have been issued to at least two of the officers of such corporation or association, or two of the members of such partnership, and such licenses are in force. Any license granted to any such corporation, association, or partnership shall be deemed revoked if for any continuous period of more than sixty days after the issuance of such license there are not at least two officers of such corporation or association or two members of such partnership who are qualified to transact business as customhouse brokers. Except as provided in subdivision (e) of this section, no person shall transact business as a customhouse broker without a license granted in accordance with the provisions of this subdivision, but nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize the requiring of a license in the case of any person transacting at a customhouse business pertaining to his own importations.

(d) The Secretary of the Treasury shall prescribe regulations necessary or convenient for carrying this section into effect.

Art. 1392. Definition.-The term "customhouse broker" shall be taken to include all persons, partnerships, corporations, and associations transacting customs business at a customhouse in behalf of other persons generally.

Art. 1393. Application for license.-(a) The application for a license as a customhouse broker shall be submitted to the collector of customs of the district in which the applicant intends to operate, for transmission to the Commissioner of Customs.

(b) The application for an individual license shall be sworn to, shall state the brokerage experience of the applicant, his knowledge of customs law and procedure, and his other qualifications to render valuable service to importers and exporters, shall be accompanied by letters of indorsement and evidence of the applicant's good moral character, and shall state the date and place of his birth. If he is a naturalized citizen, the application shall show the date and place (court) where the applicant was naturalized and the serial number of the certificate of naturalization.

(c) If the applicant is a partnership, the name and address of each member thereof holding a license as a customhouse broker shall be stated. Evidence of the partnership relationship shall be submitted.

(d) If the applicant is a corporation or association, a copy of the charter or articles of incorporation, or other evidence of organization, must be submitted, and the names of at least two persons holding licenses as customhouse brokers, who are officers of the corporation or association, shall be stated.

(e) Applications of partnerships, corporations, and associations shall be accompanied by letters of indorsement and evidence that the applicant is qualified to render valuable service to importers and exporters, and shall be sworn to by a member of the partnership or an officer of the corporation or association.

(f) If the applicant is a sole proprietor, operating under a trade or fictitious name, evidence of the applicant's authority to so conduct business must accompany the application.

(g) The name and address of each applicant shall be posted in the public lobby of the customhouse as soon as possible after the application has been received by the collector. In the case of partnerships, corporations, and associations, the names of the licensed members or officers thereof must appear.

Art. 1394. Investigation of application.-All applications for licenses as customhouse brokers shall be referred by the collector of customs to the supervising customs agent in charge of the district in which the applicant is located, for investigation, report, recommendation, and transmission to the Bureau of Customs at Washington. The investigation and report shall cover the correctness of all statements in the application, the ability of the

applicant to render valuable service to importers and exporters, and, in the case of an individual, his character, experience, and knowledge of customs law and procedure. The investigation, if necessary, shall extend beyond the information given by the applicant or his indorsers. Records of any complaints that may have been made against the applicant in the course of his employment in customs matters should be consulted.

Art. 1395. Examining board-Membership and procedure. (a) If the report of the customs agent is favorable, the collector of customs with whom such application is filed shall notify the applicant, if an individual, to appear before a board of examiners on a specified date, to be examined by them as to the applicant's knowledge of customs law and procedure and as to his fitness to render proper and efficient service to the public.

(b) Such examining board shall consist of not less than three nor more than five members, to be appointed by the collector of customs to whom the application is made, such appointments to be made with the approval of the Commissioner of Customs. The collector, with the approval of the Commissioner of Customs, shall prescribe a list of subjects for the guidance of the board in conducting such examination. The examination shall be oral, and shall be stenographically reported, transcribed, and forthwith transmitted to the collector of customs, with the report and recommendation of the examining board. The collector of customs shall forward the report of the examining board with his approval or disapproval to the Commissioner of Customs.

Art. 1396. Issuance of license.-(a) If the Commissioner of Customs finds that the applicant is qualified he will issue a license on customs Form 3075.

(b) A license for a person holding the position of officer of a corporation or association, or for a person who is a member of a partnership, will be issued in the name of the individual licensee and not in his capacity as officer or member of the organization with which he is connected.

Art. 1397. Licenses for more than one collection district. Separate licenses shall be required if the licensee desires to transact business in more than one collection district. However, licenses may be granted to partnerships with two licensed members and corporations and associations with two licensed officers, whether or not such members or officers are licensed in the district for