Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-05
INSPECTING BAGGAGE
SECRETARY SHAW's LETTER Tc
PETITIONERS.
The Department Will Do All It Can to
Reduce Cause for COMPLAINT
Some Suggestions.

Secretary Shaw of the Treasury Depart
| ment has sent a letter to eaeh2of the ladies
who recently signed a paper addressed to
| him complaining of the M-treatment and
! discourtesy at the haDss of baggage in
| spectors at the port of New York. The
letter states that on receipt of the petition
circular letter was sent to each signer
| asking a more specific statement and the
facts upon which the Conclusions received
in the petition were based. This circular
was sent to I, ,020 ladies. whose addresses
were given in the petition. A little over
300 were returned for want of sufficient ad-
dress. OF the 100 remaining the depa---
| ment has received 1S5 answers on the fo.
| lowing grievances: That receipted bills are
not accepted as proof of value; that duties
are often imposed upon old clothing; that
| trunks are emptied on the wharf; that i'm
pertinent questions are asked and remarks
made which are humiliating.
Answers Summarized.
The answers, the Secretary says, may be
summarized as follows:
Number who report Illegal demand by
officer, 0; number who claim to have paid
on non-dutiable articles, 6; number who re-
port having had reeeipteds bills as proof of
value, l6; number who say receipted bills
were not accepted as proof, L; number who
say receipted bills were accepted as proof
10; number who claim their trunks were
emptied on the wharf, Z; number who claim
to have been personally Inundated by i'm
pertinent questions, 9; number who COM
pam or dlscourtesy, Z; number who COM
plain OF insolence OF officers 8; number
who complain Of discrimination by officers
o; number who report having been courte-
ously treated, Sc; number who complain of
delay g; number who have other specific
grievances, '16; number who object to meth
od or inspection, 46; number who say they
nave had no personal experience, 12; num-
Der who have not been abroad in three
years. 6; number who have never been
abroad. 4; number who report having signed
on representation of others, 46; number
who signed on general principles" 1 num-
ber who object to making any declara ton,
Al; number who object to the 500 limit, 93;
number who report having bribed inspect
ors, 2; number who know OF bribery 3:
number who reiterate the declaration con-
tained In the original petition favoring the
enforcement of the law, I; number who OBJ
ject to the departments letter Of inquiry, 2
Ihe want of definite charges the Sec
retarys letter continues. renders it well
nigh impossible to conduct a specific inves-
tigation."
The Secretary's Promise.
The department. he says, will do all in it's
power to reduce legitimate cause of COM
plaint to the minimum. The Secretary says
he is surprised that the ladies who signed
the petition report 80 little personal incon-
venience. Continuing. he7says:
"If the piers were the property of the
United States very important changes
might be made. 1 have requested that the
several steamship companies provide spe-
cial room. or that they allow the govern
ment to construct presentabfe. and, If need
be, portable counters with screens about
them, so as to permit secfIBion. To this
end suggest that the. ladies' who have SO
courteOuslYs called my attention to this evil
join In soliciting the sEtean nlsfip companies
to cooperate in remedging the same.
1T is gratifying tcsrecail that the orig
inal petition directs atteptien to the fact
that the signers are desirous Of the enforce
ment of the law. Quite number Of the re-
recommend a strict endorsement of the
statute against such persons as attempt to
smuggle.',H
The Secretary then quotes the law ne-
garding a declaration and an=examination
and says that in the face of this statute he
does not see how either the declaration or
the examination can be omitted. In con-
ciusion, he says:
"And now, with regard to remedies 1t is
the intention of the department to prepare
circular containing suEeestion to travel
ers, the same to be given them as they are
leaving our ports, and itais hoped that this
will be of assistance in preparing a correct
schedule for examination on their return
In addition. deputy will always be mat
tendance, to whom any incivility can be re-
ported. Other tmodifications will be made
from time to time as they are found prac-
ticable" @.s-,t