The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-07-31
TOURISTS WERE SAD.
PAYING DUTY ON IMPORTED CLOTHES
WORTH MORE THAN 500.

Customs Onicers Met tho Majestic and
Collected DutieS Under tho New Law.
Hereafter the L,cai Taiiors VIII do
More Business with Travellers TO Europe.
The steamship Majestic of tho White
btar line got into the poIt Of New York
the other morning, and her passengers
were the first arriving on any large
steamship to be subjected to the clause
OF the new Dingley law placing a duty
upon personal apparel and Effects pur-
chased Oh the other side in use year
or less and exceeding 800 il value.
Surveyor Mcclure. his deputy, Mr..
Bowling. and IL staff officers went
down the bay to meet the vessel.
On the pier of the steamship COM
pany were 90 other custom house in.
spectors, and in addition to the regular
group OF men from the appraisers Office
IL extra men to help out.
AS soon as the men reached the Ma
jestic they got to work, and they had
their hands full.
They took their places as usual at the
head Of the long tables in the dining
saloons and the work of declaration was
begun.
AS each passenger came forward to
declare his baggage the man into whose
hands he fell explained to him that the
new DinRley tariff law was In effect
and that If he had over 800 worth of
personal baggage purchased on the
other side within a year he would have
to say SO and pay duty Oh the "over
and above" as the custom house men
called it.
Most OF the passengers came right out
with their declarations and paid their
duties without grumble. There were
many humorous and laughable scenes
and bits Of conversations, however.
among the passengers and the officers,
but nobody was caught trying to SNUG
gle in anything.
Morris X. Jesup, the banker. said
that he had been away only six weeks
and had hardly been outside of London,
yet he had bought lot of things and
when he got to the pier he paid down
$l70 for extra baggage without mur-
muir.
Many Of the passengers paid out
larger sums than that, and it was said
at the pier that the receipts for the day
from the Majestic alone would amount
to a neat little figure.
Commodore Elbridge T. Gerry was on
board He had lot of baggage and
kept himself and the custom house in
spectors assigned to look after his bag
gage busy for quite awhile OH the pier.
The printed blanks to be used in the
declaration of personal baggage were
not ready when the Majestic arrived,
and so there was a little confusion in
taking the declarations.
There was not much, however, and
Deputy Surveyor Bowling expressed
himself as quite well pleased with the
days work.
After the passengers had declared
their luggage they got stub, as usual,
from the declaration papers. Arrived at
the pier they had to present these stubs
at the desk at the street end to get an
inspector to examine their luggage. 1t
was this that took up so much time and
caused all the delay and confusion that
ensued.
A great rush for the desk occurred as
soon as all the kissing had been finished,
and long line stretched all the way
across the pier for an hour after the
steamship had reached her dock
AS general thing there is only one
inspector OH hand for every ten passen-
gers, but that morning there was a
man for every six or seven.
The appraisers were not kept very
busy, for most of the passengers told the
truth about their baggage and did not
attempt to undervalue it. 1t was only
when the inspectors suspected that pas
sengers were putting false value 1pon
their property that they called upon the
appraisers to help them out.
The customs house officers had some
interesting experiences with some Of
the passengers who were inclined to OBJ
ject to the new law.
Among the first Of these on board to
come forward On the way up the bay
was stout man with an atmosphere of
importance surrounding him.
"The Dingley law has gone into ef-
fect," said the inspector.
"Ah," said the passenger, II am
glad to hear that! am Republican,
and believe in protection, but do not
come under. the new law, for l put all
my money into clothing for myself and
my wife. / had $1,000 with me, and I
got enough clothes to last a year or SO.
Ha, hal"
but the new law does affect you"
Howl
The inspector explained.
"But am a friend Of Mr.. Dingley
Snd am friend Of McKinley" expos
tulatod the man.
"That makes no difference, explain
ed the inspector. lyon said $1,000.
That makes
"Hold OH. You made mistake. Let