Amador ledger., 1900-08-31
MEETING A BIG LINER
NOT EASY TO BOARD AN INCOMING
VESSEL IN NEW YORK BAY.

UncIe Sam Grants Few Requests For
Passes on the Revenue Cutters
which Go Out to Meet the Steam
ships From European Ports.
When it is generally understood, as it
generally is not, that fully 300 persons
make application daily in season for
passes to board incoming ocean steam
ers from revenue cutters and that not
more than 2 per cent of the requests
are granted, 1t may be understood how
valuable the treasury department ON
Elders these privileges. The occurrence
Is rare, but is nevertheless legal for the
master of the ship for which pass
calls to refuse to permit the holder to
board his ship. All revenue cutter
passes are issued by the collector Of
the port and must be countersigned by
the surveyor The revenue of every
country on dutiable personal effects
depends for It's volume on the ability
of the customs authorities to have
them duly listed and taxed on arrival.
In the event of a promiscuous granting
for a certain dishonest element that Is
TO be found under every sun TO meet in
coming friends down the bay and sur
xeptitiously bring ashore at the pier
TaIua bles purchased abroad
The treasury department trusts few,
a fact that has increased Uncle Sans
reySpue great deal, as the majority Of
the boarding officers know. Recently
the holder OF pass boarded White
Star liner and was approached by a
passenger to whom he was a perfect
stranger. The latter said:
"I understand you are connected
with SO and so. 1 have a small pack
age here that l would like to take
ashore. There is nothing dutiable in 1t,
but you understand how the govern
ment piles it on. ] will meet you at
the head of the gangway when | get
s my luggage released, and I will take
the package from you"
Not only did this pass holder not take
the package, but the first thing he did
upon landing was to point out the pas
xenger to a member of the surveyors
staff, who very promptly demanded
and received the package. 1t contained
.jewelry Of all descriptions. That an
unauthorized person may not get on
board an incoming craft in advance Of
sthe customs officials the following Is
attached to every pass that is issued
for the revenue cutter:
''This permission is understood to be
subject to the assent Of the master Of
the steamship and of the health officer
ms guardian of the public health, and
boarding Is strictly forbidden until aft
er the customs officers are in charge,
according to the following extract from
the passenger act, 1882:
"'Section 8. That 1t shall not be law
fun for the master Of any (such) steam.
ship or other vessel not in distress aft
er the arrival of the vessel within any
collection district of the United States
to allow any person or persons except a
pilot, officer Of the customs or health
officer, agents Of the vessel and consuls
to come on board of the vessel or to
leave the vessel until the vessel has
been taken in charge by an officer Of
the customs nor after charge SO taken
without leave of such officer until all
the passengers, with their baggage,
have been duly landed from the ves-
SELL"
When the revenue cutter pass system
was originally introduced, nobody in
In the old days 1t was the custom to
meet relatives and friends back from
an ocean trip on the pier heads. The
revenue cutter pass is a simple piece Of
paper IN itself, but is the study Of
many years and countless number of
practical officials. The manner in which
it.i obtained, the demands made upon
its holder, the restrictions as to its use
and its composition in every way are
the result Of innumerable revisions of
passes that have preceded it during the
last 20 years, and 1t now omits nothing
that will protect Uncle Sam, as it really
should do.
A few years ago 1t was possible for
all sorts of idlers to gain admission to
a pier while the passengers of a ship
from foreign parts were landing. This
had been the practice for some years,
and the steamship gateman had the
sole and exclusive right Of deciding
who should enter. 1t was supposed
and frequently discovered In individual
cases that dutiable goods were secretly
passed to these friends who came down
to welcome the homecomer.
As a consequence the inability to get
a revenue cutter pass did not make
much material difference, the dock az
1ording full scope for any desired work
In. a dishonest way. To protect the
purposes Of the cutter passes and to
place further barrier around illegal
practices the treasury department re-
Gently made new rule that admission
to a pier during the docking of an in
coming steamer could be obtained by
dard only. This admission ticket, like
the revenue cutter passes, is not trans-
feYable and must bear the name Of the
helder,i the signature of the steamship.
company and the Endorsement of the
collector Of the port. The perfection
Of the cutter pass system as to transfer
may be appreciated when it is stated
that the beneficiary Of the pass must
afdx his name to the pass on receiving
IL at the custom house and again when
he boards the cutter at the Battery.
This eliminates all chance Of the pass
being transferred. Transfers have
been Illegally made, but the holder, be-
ing unable to furnish the same sigma
ture as that supplied at the custom