The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-02
BOTHER FOR TRAVELLERS.
THEIR LUGGAGE TO RE SEARCHED
LOSER THAN EYER

New Customs Regulation Makes Things Live
~ tor Passengers on incoming Steam
siips-Now Ono Must Declare Every Ar
ticlc That lie Has Purchased Abroad.
Under a recent decision OF the Treasury De-
partment passengers from Europe arriving at
American ports after Feb. l are required to
describe every article In their possession TINT
they have purchased abroad. The first steam
ship affected by tho decision was the Red Star
liner Westernland, which arrived yesterday
from Antwerp. An officer OF the Surveyors
staff boarded the steamship at Quarantine and
took the declarations OF the passengers as they
came up the bay. The articles bought on the
other side were described on the back Of dec
larations. After the passengers landed the
inspectors o%verhauled trunks. satchels and va.
Uses to find the things that had been bought
abroad.
There were seven first cabin and forty sec
ond cabin passengers on the Westernland. 1t
took the inspectors. an appraiser and n deputy
collector two hours and fifteen minutes to de-
eide that none CT tho passengers should pay
duty on their goods. w. Peel of Salem, Va.
had in his baggage n book for which he had
paid 40 cents In Europe. II took an inspector
about fifteen minutes to find the book. The
inspector took II TO an appraiser, who'declared
that it was worth 80 cen rs here. II was then
taken to q deputy collector. who decided that
It was not dutiable. Victor Wilcox OF this city
had purchased while away 100 cigarettes. two
suits Of underwear. twelve shirts and a lot OF
cuffs. collars, handkerchief and socks. paying
$40 for them. His baggage was ransacked
while he waited on the pier. The appraiser
and deputy collector examined the articles,
and it was decided that they were not dutieble.
nr Otto SncGa M Tpla6n had cave rnl trunka
and boxes and two bicycles of American make
WHICH he had bought in Germany. He orig
ard recently went back TO get his medical Ii
brary and instruments. He had packed his
i ioHl A ffHgei an ins Ieyat,PR had Sdfo oyerh nTHsd tn sme
The doctor could not get;them back in the
box. He bought another box. The doctor
ITO avoid the annoyance. OF a search I over
valued my things about S}44. | AN wiling to
9G sy aSty Dn is etE fa,ht@!, i iHa here IS a IS srrSr in MY L
it Is in favor of the Government"
There was one lonesome passenger on the
He had a suit OF clothes that he had bought in
England. and he was. wearing it. An appraiser
lector declared that the man from Hull might
walk out in his suit without paying anything
Il o,xIe stea RnssHpt Rlier. oh in from i Mediterranean TsrreSn
ports. declared that they had bought things
in foreign places. The customs officers spent
about two and one-half hours looking over the
passengers baggage.
There were seven passengers on the Allan
tic Transport liner Manitou from London who
had bought articles in Europe. They wercde-
tanned about an hour longer than. they might
have been II they had got here a day earlier.
The men ot the Custom House do not like
the new regulation. Formerly inspectors de-
termined whether or not articles bought
abroad in the baggage OF passengers were
dutiable. The law eNemptS articles OF a COM
bined value of less than 800. One OF the aus
toms officials said:
I'm order to properly carry out this new
rule It will be necessary, to increase, the force
| of:inspectors.nt'this port by sixty. which means
an annual additional expense of'about 100000;
The ships that arrived to-day fortunately had
only a small number Of passengers. But to-
| morrow. when the White Star steamship Ma
| jestic gets in with 2T0 first and second cabin
| passengers. there is going to be trouble.
1T will :reuuire.nearly twice the mum Der OF
men to pass her passengers baggage than 1t
did before this new ruling went into effect.
We will have hfty-four men at the pier. There
doubtless will be much growing on the part
Of passengers. but we cannot help that: We
are acting under orders. and must obey them. -
This is the ruling OF the Treasury Depart
ment:
Il have 10 direct.that hereafter whenever the
baggage OF passengers arriving from abroad Is
found to contain any articles purchased abroad
gers. they shall be described on She back OF
the baggage declaration by the inspector and
submitted to the appraising officer for ap-
praisement. and the inspector Will be held re-
sponsible for the:failure so to find and report
such articles. reg ardless OF their value, You
will please see that this rule is strictly en-
| forced at your port