New-York tribune., 1901-07-08
RUSSIAN RED TAPE.
1T IS WONDERFULLY MANIFEST IN THE
MATTER OF THE PASSPORT

MATTER OF THE PASSPORT.
St. Petersburg June Is.
1t has always required many yards of red tape
TO get in out of Rdssia. but as a result
OF recent disturbances. the process Is even more
difncult. Added precautions being taken where
the regulations seemed stringent enough before
It is generally known that the intending visitor
to Russia must get passport from his govern
ment. and that ID must be vsed by z Russian con-
sui before it will be recognized valid by the
Russian ofciaIs. The passport itssf costs dollar
or two. the wise dollar more The tourist fondly
irrasines that all regulations have been eonplled
with and that his passport can be used as a TICKET
OF admittance 10 be shown at the frontier ana
then packed away In trunk un.il his return
When he reaches the frontier-genera'iy in the
nisht-he is walked from sleep and his passport oe
manded. That Is the first requisite, and until II
has been produced and inspected he cannot get
his baggage examined. Should the passport not
have the correct wise, should Ii present any
thing of a suspicious nature TO the off1claI VINO
examines it. the traveller Is detained, and perhaps
sent back arrested IL IL is all right ne Is
allowed go
When he reaches the hotel at his first stopping
place he is followed his room by page VINO
asks for his passport. Perhaps he has put II In
trunk. The boy waits till the trunk arrives ana
the passport is produced. II must be put IN the
hands Ct the police without delay. No sooner mas
the passport been disposed OF than another noy
appears with paper. which must ne hhed out
II that the minute personal description III
the passport and it's certfcation OF Citizenship aIe
not enough. The nolice have more partlcu-
lars. On the paper blanks opposite the follow
ing questions in Russian. French, German and
English:
Your Christian and family name.
Your age.
Where have you arrived from?
What is your religion?
Where is your passport now!
At the end Is n pace 20 sign the name. At the
top is inscribed ITO he filed with the ponce
Perhaps it may seem eXpedient TO change from
one hotel 10 another. The passport is handed back
Just before departure. with an added inscription
an official seal and some revenue stamps. oh tHe
bill is an item, anywhere from forty kopecks 10 d
ruble TO cover the expense of this additional wise
This is patd with disgust. mixed with a feeling Of
satisfaction that all the requirements nave al last
been met that you registered with the pouce
ard that your passport can have rest at last'
and so with it in your pocket you drive 10 your
new abiding place.
When YOU are again followed 10 your room an
awful suspicion of what is to come crosses your
mind, and you are somewhat prepared Wheh the
word passport" is again uttered You give II UP
with resiSnation there Is another wise inscription
and stamp and arother fifty or ninety kopecks' ac-
cording to the caprice of the hotel clerk Ana TINS
passport demon follows you all through Russia
you cannot escape from it, and your paper is COW
cred with inscriptions and stamps. and your pock-
cts are emptied Of kopecks ard rubles
II a vain delusion fingers in your mind tnat at
least you will have no trouble IN solhS away I'O
the empire. you harshly undecelved at the
frontier for II your precious document does ho'
contain a special permission written across the
back for you leave Russian soil 1t is more easy
to scale the Hmalayas than cross that invisible
frontier You will be detained till the omission
is made up. You may be arrested
Supposing the traveller decides TO go from Eng
land or Germany to ST. Petersburg by water, the
regulations are enforced in the same way The
steamer must stop at Kronstadt In the course
u-ssh fln r-lynz ntF
and seal the knots with the Russian eagle In the
iaration Of every movable article on board, in
Guiding anchors chains popcS ooa aSe n6esS and sr
,cles Of -eyerything II any ariiSle mas
a guarl to watch over the government seals and
Tt hfter him comes the pilot IN two hours the
9ryes 1 at se un a the S B
been inspected and stamped. Strange To say no
After the passports are handed back there comes
the ordeal of the custom hs G ,n 6ss 6ss
the wharf and a group OF officials toss over the
thing is dutiable in Russia but travellers who have
a small amount OF luggaee are ssneraliy m & treated
reasonable amount of personal belongings WITHOUT
with suspicion and may be condscated if they
contain any article relating 10 Russia. 49,
Tedious IS the process Of landing under the
most favorable circumstances it would he we'll
noyande n Nsro tho % wEee no gr5ased e@ca tine
To the tune of about fifty rubleS or S23. Every
minor official puts his hand behind his back ana
il is expedient place something in IT, This sum
of money must he regularly counted OF the
expenses Of entering Russian port
Passports now demanded even OF the train
conductors who have for years come through
the German express to Warsaw The other day
conductor who had long made this run was not
allowed to pass the frontier.
The censorship of the press is continued
rigidly than In the reading room of any hotel
there will be dabS of official black ink certain
censorship is not merely confined to the press and
to book publications. All printed matter which
enters Russia is subject to it, and nothing may be
printed within the confines of the empire till
mitted to and approved by the censor. This refers
business cards.
American consuls or business men here may un-
Willingly send home TO have circulars printed and
out They will he held up the frontier un-
less the printed form shall have previously been
approved by the censor. This appreciation is neces-
sary before the printed matter he rescued and
then II is subject to a heavy duty.
ENGLIND'S WALL PAPER TRUST.