The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-10-06
ABOUT CUSTOM DUTIES.
COW THEY AXE COLLECTED IN SET.
LRAL COUNTRIES.
essaAnd spd Little Belgium Not VERY
Strict The Excitsmsat ~ Uacie
same Cussea House.

".
Germany are almost as suspicious 81
Russia. Travellers who maze hurried
trips from one European country to an
other are subjected 70 many snnoyances
comicai. before they get their lugsag,
cleared To do justice to ON Engisf
cousins. the custom house In Grea
Britain Is the easiest for travellers 70 get
through. Duties are collected on spirits
cigars. tobacco, and scent. All sone
folios AMI books printed outside the
Copyright law are seized and confiscated
This proves that there Is no such thing
tons. Although Canada belongs "a
ENGLAND. custom duties are levied on
travellers between those two countries.
Travellers who arrive In England from
Canada are subject TO the same rules and
restrictions as those who come from
the United States.
Tha arrival at Liverpool OF "a passenger
steamer from the United States or Can
Rda is all hubbub and excitement, but
u you look truthful" there IL no delay.
The impromptu custom house IL arranged
with the big letters, like our own custom
that you are not In trade" but travelling
for pleasure. he will chalk" your lug
gage quickly and with very little ado.
He looks, OF course. but he does not
disturb the wearing apparel In your
trunk. G the odds and ends in your
yalise. The English inspector is
!nodel OF courtesy and common sense,
rut untd WIN ne VIII see that the
law Is evoked IN its full measure.
After England. little Belgium offers
the least trouble TO tourists, The GUS
TOM house inspectors at Antwerp who
beard the little passenger steamers from
England. seldom take the trouble to ex-
anime the hand luggage of Pleasure
tourists although the big steamers from
the Unite United , States get a more careful
arrived at Antwerp on one Of the small n
vessels that ply Between that port and
Harwich. The inspectors who came on
deck before we got off chaiked the hand
luggage Of the pleasure tourists without
troubling them TO open the bags. There
Is no duty on anything a woman is likely
10 have In her trunks or yalises levied
On the Belgium port.
Germany is a highly protected country
md just this year when there Is such a
dread OF dynamite, passengers who came
into Germany have TO submit TO more
or less searching on the borders. l tray
eled from Brussels TO Cologne. The Ger
man border is reached at Hebesthral, a
hehghtful little place. The custom house
Joins the railroad station, and both are
Inspiring. The railroad officials and the
custom house officers are soldierly-look-
Ing, dignlfed and stern; but underneath
this official dignity there turks kindll-
ness. which soon invites confidence. Al
1atternly shabby uniforms worn by
officials In other countries, but spruce
md fresh. as If the Kaiser was going
10 review them. The custom house Off
brass buttons. Both In appearance and
manners these officers were gentlemen;
but for all that they scrutinized each
passenger before closely examlng his or
her luggage. PASSENGERS travelling for
pleasure were not bothered otermnch,
providing there was nothing suspicious
about themselves or their bags and
trunks. III the carriage with ne :hefe
was an English clergyman and his
wife The wife's sister in England had
packed a loaf Of delicious homemade
bread In the big VallSe of the .rave "lH.
When the a. 'er opened their bag On NE
custom counter, the Inspector felt of the
bundle coniaini lg the bread. In MS eyes
this looked "sde, ,.cious." and he order q
the bundle oLtne1 When he E w that
Il vas bras1, re ltcame more SUSPICIOUS
and called one Oh his colleagues. The
two had "a f,w hurried words, and hnally
and with shis pierced the wheaten loht
fun Of holes. lie wanted TO make s'.Te
UP things in the ae4erland. When thu
messengers In our carriage took their
seats again, the clergynan's wife re-
lated her experience to the great amuse-
7nent OF her husband and the amaze
ment Of the rest Of us. After the train
the lady threw her wheaton loaf
out Of the window.
'The birds will eat it." she said. In
Che future - added the lady, II VIII not
trouble to bring my own bread into Ger
many -,
Travellers who speak German viii find
that accomplishment great advantage
travelling in Germany. German llkes 70
hear a foreigner speak the language
of the Fatherland. and the one VINO can
IS certain Of mnc1 extra attention and
courtesy everywhere In Germany NJ
telegraph employees and many OF the
custom-house officials know some Eng
ilsh. but IN small places they get rusty
because of the few opportunities; tney
get 10 practice So when you speak GER
man you please them very much.
The most popular routes popular be-
cause the tourists have made them 500
from Germany into France are from Co-
logne or from Strasenrf bv t trsveIers Who
want to reach Paris from southern yer
many. From Strasburg the. French bof-
der Is reached at Avricourt. There is
German Avricourt and french AVlr-
court, and il is at the latter place where |
the luggage of persons going into france
is examined. France Is, not highiy pro,
tected country but the oincials stanu
In mortal fear of dynamite. The French |
custom inspectors have a curious tashloh
OF gently touching small handbags, III |
order to convince themselves that you
are not carrying dynamite balls aTound
with you. These inspectors must not
value their lives or the lives of innocent |
travellers or they must be unpardonably |
ignorant OF the ingredients OF a dyha-
mite cartridge. which Is warranted W tk
piode at the slightest touch, The ability
In sneak French will not help you much |
with these officials. To the contrary, II |
You are English or American. and happen |
10 be n woman. they do not take the /
iro,bls TO look at your luggage but |
,haik II. and smile at you. Az AVrlcourt
mere was one woman inspector, an aged
adv wearing a black lace cap with pur-
age OF all the ladies without requesting
me travellers to open their bags me
custom officials in France are not as
soIdieriy looking as those IN Germany.
Neither do their uniforms III them as
The excitement of our own custom
house is enough to counteract al me
health and vigor gained during EURO
,ring over a few dollars worth of trink-
ats from the other side are put IN
dilemma when they are called On 10
declare" Who wants 20 pay duty on
,r one shilling blackthorn from Ire
land. or a. sixpense penhoider from the
Crystal Palace.
/ know OF nothing more unpatriotic and
ln- American than this craze Tor pnSlng
gowns and bonnets in London and Paris.
n takes millions out OF the country every |
year, and II gets worse and worse with
Every returning summer. am woman,
md accordtng to the Constitutional Con-
vention. II win be many day before l
am permitted 10 vote or help TO make
The laws for my country; but can give
advice. and my advice, to Congress Is
lo make the custom laws more even
md consistent. As these laws stand now,
rich woman can bring in. free OF duty, |
several thousand dollars worth OF
gowns and bonnets. whereas a poor
school teacher. or some other poor
Woman, trembles and quakes because
The has $40 worth of little things for |
friends at home. more equitable Gus
ON law would be 10 allow every return-
ng passenger 500 worth of new articles,
~ 80 ,,,ora frhic foabion ~ etnrkipc, |