New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-11-05
BIGGAGE TROW ELROPF.

BIGGaGE TRON ELROPF.
4 very entertaining book might he made by
collecting the experience OF Americans return
ing from foreign tour, i'll respect to Their
baggage. There have been many changes Ill
the Custom-hOuse system, and at frequent M
teryals new set of regulations has been I'M
posed. Smuggling in passengers baggage mas
gone on continuously under all systems. IL
keeps pace in amount with the increase oil
travel. Its yearly total has been variously
estimated by hundreds of thousands OF dollars
and by millions. For some inscrutablc reason,
men who never in their lives attempted dis
honest act, and ladies whose title to rcspecta-
bility has never been questioned. seem to think
this o venial OilonSe. The goods SNUG
eled rs baggage are pointed 20 u households
with sort of pride for months aftcrward /;
the owner tells his guest with pleasant chucklc,
"IInc.o Sam never got a dollar worth OF duty
"on that los = and perhaps experiences are
interchanged as TO the most recent mode OF man
aging such exploits.
Tho condition of public sentiment on
this subject is partly the fault OF the system.
Before he leaves the shores OF EUIope the re-
turning traveller hears all sorts of IumOrs
about new restrictions and regulations to be
enforced on landing. How shall | ever get
my baggage tlroughf This is the chief worry
of the novice in travelling, but even those who
have had experience are not serene about it,.
1t is the principal topic of conversation on the
steamer. "The troubles at the wharf that |
"cxpect TO encounter" said one gentleman
who has made many trips, "arc OF more serious
concern to me than all tho dangers of the
L.. to hoe. hot Ia
has made in his European tour, designing
them as presents for this friend and for that
relative-those that he has packed in his trunks
with such tender cralnming-they weigh on
him like nightmare while he rolls mcasily
in his state-rOom berth. VIII they be paved
over by Custom-house officials, and smashed,
and broken, and flung back in an indiScrimi-
nate heapi Honest men, meaning TO do right,
have had such experience. What is to be
done7 On tho whole, is not little bribery
the simpler wayi
IL was supposed to be part Of the new
regulations that baggage-blanks would be kept
on board ship and furnished TO the passengers
during the voyage. In very recent instances
this has not been The fact. The actual cxpe-
rionce is that shortly before landing at the
dock the passenger has paper presented to
nina paper to sign, declaring a great
many things respecting his baggage. Perhaps
if ho had had that declaration to study oil the
other side OF the water, he would have made
many changes in packing his trunks, and have
left some things behind. There is no time for
that now, scarcely time to read the declaration.
At the wharf he finds himself in the center
of ring OF officials. Even if his bag
cage is al right, aud hc knows it is,
taey can keep him there waiting for hours,
plving him with the threat of sending
hs baggage to the Custom-hOuse-eycn Of
| conG.caiing it. Theirs are not idle threats !;
| they have the power. II is best not TO quarrel
with them. Even though no serious loss is
inflicted, they may give outrageous annoyance.
They have been known 10 pull ont soilcd
linen on the dock and hold il up TO the day
! lght amid the jccr, OF the crowd. Meanwhile
one thing is certain: there wi ! be large
number of trunks whose owners seem at once
relieved from anxiety. One Of the ring of
officials steps about in a smiling way while
such an owner points ont his property; a chalk
mark is put on each trunk of that lot F; il is
bundled into the express wagon ana goes Off
without the slightest trouble. The rest wait.
What has happened in the ease of the ia
vored lot OF baggagcf Bribery Not nova
days. There was "A time when the roll OF
greenhacls was passed ON the dock. That
mode has been improved upon. The owner OF
the baggage simply gave the Official his adj
dress. The next morning the official will
Maudly call at his house OF Office to inquire
| about his health and as to bow he feels after
his voyage. The contrast between The Official
of yesterday and the visitor of to-day is so
great that lie hardly seems to be tie same
man. "My grandfather was an admiral in the
United States service during the Revolution,
said one of these morning visitors. OF course
a beggarly ten-dollar bill would not be the
proper thing to offer TO an admirars grand
son for facilitating the removal of baggage.
Another of these visitors thrust back three or
four prohercd sovereiens with the utmost con-
tempt. "WlY, that square box said he,
ought to bring me at least $780, The fact
was that the box referred to had a suspicious
appearance, though it did not contain dutiable
goods.
J i new set of regulations went into operation