New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-20
an army to Cairo in behalf Of the bondholders
would be Infamous.
PASSENGERS LUGGAGE.

About this time the American tourist abroad
is beginning to worry over his luggage. He
has picked up n multitude of little purchases
in the course of his rambIcs He has bought
objects of art and fantasy in Paris carved
work at Luccrne and lnterlaken, gloves at
Turin, boxes in marble mosaic at Florence,
store of souvenirs for himself, and small pres
ents for his family at home, and now ne IS
haunted by fear Of the New-lork Custom
House TO his disordered Imagination, the
officers in blue, who are going to Chamber over
the steamers side rs she comes up the harbor,
represent nothing but rapacity and extorton.
They will ransack the well-packcd trunks,
tumble the clothes, tear the photographs, break
the delicate Swiss work, and cOniscate the
gloves ana ribbons. They are the sworn enc
mics of every returning traveller. How to deal
with them is the problem which disturbs the
last weeks on the Continent and the final stroll
among the London shops, and spoIls the charm
of the homeward voyage Shall | hide the
trophies of travel among the old coats and
trousers and trust to getting them through
undiscovered by the help of hard swearing 7
Shall risk Offering the inspector ten dollars
Is it true that one does not venture to bride
New-York Custom House officers any more
These questions will soon be troubling the
dreams Ct hundreds of our countrymen.
Yet it is probable that even those who fret
the most are not liable To any OnerOus payment.
a rigid enforcement Of the law will tax them
an amount which really seems trivial when 1t
is considered as an item in the expense of their
trip. But it is Il curious fact that an American
family who will cheerfully pay an extOrtiOnate
foreign hotel bill rather than make a fuss
about it, reckoning the dishonest oyercharge
as the price a traveller may well afford for the
sake of avoiding trouble will subject Them
selves to weeks of vexaton and anxiety in
trying to evade lawful custom-house duties to
their own Government. If they would only
employ in this matter little of the calculation
and common sense Of which they make such
good use i'm their adventures abroad. how much
annoyance they would be spared The easiest,
and in many cases the cheapest, way to get
your luggage through the Custom House is to
MAKE perfectly frank declaration of its con-
tents. When you are choosing your purchases
in Paris, remember the duties, make up your
mind to pay them, add them to the prime cost
stop buying when You have reached the limit
of your allowance, and then don't worry.
Peace of mind will be worth buying on such
terms; and the examination of your trunks
when you get home will not be the dreadful
experience you have been taught to fear.
Although passengers themselves are mostly
to blame for troubles with their luggage, it must
be admitted that the law is not altogether what
it ought to be- and it might be well for the
Tariff Commission now in session to inquire
whether it cannot he improved. The statute
cxempts from duty CD the clothing in actual Use
and (2) personal effects not merchandise OF the
returning tourist. The first exemption is pre-
else enough, and though there may be com
plant that it is too narrow there can be no
doubt rs to what it means. The second cXemp
ton is capable of very liberal Interpretation,
but by the rulings of the Treasury Department
it has been so restricted that in theory the
Custom House recognizes personal effects
hardly anything beyond a shoe-hOrn and
tooth brush. Inspectors, of course, exercise
rational discretion in this matter; but in brief
it may be said that the keepsakes. presents,
curosities and miscellaneous triles which
tourists generally bring home are strictly
speaking subject TO duty. Now it was clearly
not the intention of the law that such personal
effects should be made to yield IA revenue
and if they are ruled to be dutiable 1t Is only
because a broader Interpretation of the statute
would leave a door open for smuggling. But
the regulation is vcxatious; it leads to good
deal Of false swearing, and probably to some
bribery; and its enforcement is often guided
by caprice and attended with much friction.
These are strong reasons for revising it, If the
members of the Tariff Commission could make
a tour of the wharyes when the homeward tide
of travel sets in from Europe and see for them
selves bow passengers luggage is examined and
assessed, they might be able to suggest some
welcome changes in a system which ia now per-
haps the most illiberal and annoying i'll the
world.
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