New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-20
~ nPPRENSLIE RTLING.


II Wollld be interesting 10 know the real mo-
tlves which have inspired the recent Treasury
Departmen, ruling prohibiting the importation
by mail Of all dutiabe articles except books
II II is no, a ease of express companies going
into politics II would be we'll 10 give the pub
lie some explanation which would satisfy Them
OF the necessity for This oppressive restriction
on their commerce.
4 large volume Of petty business across the
Atlantic has long been done through the mails.
The P0stotiice * great and almost essential
convenience for travellers having small parcels
IN send home ANYBODY who ever tried 10 send
an express package in continental city and
spent n half-hour filling ont and signing end
less blanks will appreciate The Kindness Of the
Treasury clerk who says he may not hereafter
drop a box Of handkerchiefS or pair OF gloves
I'm a mail box and send them without trouble
for : or 10 cents 10 friend al home. The
American art student who wanted package OF
photographs which can be bought 50 cheaply
In Paris or Rome could order them by letter
and receive them by post Now they must
come hy express at an expense utterly out or
proportion to their value or size Domestic OK
press rates on small packages are eXorbtant.
but rates between the United states and Eu-
rope are almost pTOhbtive for the little things
that naturally 90 into the mail box IN domestic
as well as foreign intercourse. Now instead
Of sending an article that perhaps costs 81
abroad for > cents people are to be- compelled
10 pay possibly 20 cents for transportation.
Add 10 this the duty. which is the same in both
cases. and the cost of the article in NewNork
Is made utterly unreasonable. With express
charges dsproportlonately high for small arti-
Giles there IS no sense in the Government de-
priving It's citizens OF their one chance to OBJ
tain TRIES without paying more than they are
worth for carriage.
II will probably be said that this regulation
Is made to facilitate the collection Of duties
PERHAPS some goods escape the appraiser In the
mails but II Is much TO be doubted II the add
tlonal revenue 10 be obtained by sending every
thing through the Custom House will at al
compensate for the annoyance il will cause
Customs officers are already employed 10 in-
spcct the mails. The importation of books by
mail Is sill permitted. Why cannot the IN
spectors examine other things as well? Non
dutiable packages are allowed in the mail. yet
they must be overlooked 10 see that they are
not dutiable The dutable goods honestly i'm
ported through the PostOfice can be dealt with
Just as well as the duiable goods struggled
into the mail. IT is as easy TO drop an Official
card 10 a person telling him 70 call on the IN
spector and show and pay duty on package
or gloves or n roll Of photographs addressed 10
him as 10 send him similar notice concerning
a book. The only sufferer from such consulta-
4ion OF the comfort of the public would be. so
far as is apparent. the expressmaD. Natural
ly. he would like 10 get o lot OF J0-cent pieces
for doing what this and other Governments
do for n few cents If the object is TO break
up all the petty traffic between Europe and this
country. 10 compel seeker for photographs TO
go to an agent and pay high price for an I'M
satisfactory selection from a limited stock, the
measure will doubtless be effective But the
people whose business and social convenience
are thus interfered with beyond all measure Of
their money loss would seem TO be entitled 10
some consideration Our foreign as well as our