Rocky Ford enterprise., 1899-06-15
L. A. w. is IN TROUBLE
ALL OVER THE CANADIAN GUS
TOMS REGULATIONS.
befrionded by the Organization. Many
Whcclmon Seem Too Negligent to DO
the Right Thing-Canadinn Govsrn-
nent Seemingly Imposed Upon.

BY virtue of an agreement made by
the League of American Wheelmen
with the Dominion government, men,
bers of the L. A. w. have been en-
abled for several years to enter their
bicycles in Canadian ports without
paying duty on them, or even the
customary deposit representing the
amount of duty. League members
surrender their membership tickets in
place OF the deposit. At the same time
each tourist is required to sign an
entry blank giving description Of
the wheel. its number and its value.
and agreeing therein to take the wheel
out Of Canada within a given time at
specified port, where the tourist fur
ther agrees to report his departure to
the customs officials and take UP his
membership ticket. To gain this i'm
portant concession the League OF
American Wheelmen guarantees the
payment Of duty to the Canadian gov
ernment on all such wheels not taken
out OF Canada In the specified time, or
not SO reported to the proper officials.
To the disgrace Of the l.. A. w. In
particular. and the entire cycling fra
ternity Of the United States in gen.
eral. there have been so many cases
where, through carelessress, indo-
lence or positive dishonesty, return
Ing tourists failed to report their de-
parture with their wheels as required,
that the bills for duty against the L.
A. w. piled up rapidly. and the Cana
dian government became disguised
and threatened to withdraw the priyi-
lege. The league officers in the mean
time must trace up each individual
case to collect the duty from the Of
fender. or obtain an explanation that
shall be satisfactory to the Canadian
customs department.
In most instances where excuses
were offered the explanation has been
that the tourist could not find the Ca
madam custom house Official on his
way out OF Canada. Such tourists did
not bear in mind the fact that the
Canadian inspectors do not wait on
trains leaving their territory, and
must be sought In their offices, which
arc invariably in close proximity to
the railroad station or steamboat
wharf. Whatever the merit Of that
excuse may be. the league officers have
made new deal with the Canadian
government, which makes 1t impos-
sible for returning tourists to resort to
such claim In the future,
When the Canadian officers cannot
be found at the frontier the United
States officers are always on hand on
this side of the line. The Canadian
government will accent tho decIor,t,op
of returning rider that his bicycle
has been withdrawn from Canada II
countersigned by any United States
customs officer on duty at the line.
This declaration will secure the re.
turn OF the tourists membership
ticket and relieve the L. A. w. from
financial obligation. II forwarded at
once to Abbot Bassett. secretary l..
A. w. Boston. Mass. The declaration
blanks are furnished by the L. A. w
officers.
secretary Bassett reports that the
negligent tourists have caused the
league officers no end OF trouble and
annoyance. Some of the offenders
have taken their bicycles into Canada
and thence to Europe: one man has
gone to the klondyke regions. and nm.
other Is somewhere In Manitoba. Sow
eral Canadians visiting this country
have Joined the l.. A. W. and used tho
membership tickets to get American
bicycles across the border without
paying duty. They remain in Canada.
and the tickets. not being taken Up in
the specified time. become claims