Omaha daily bee., 1902-04-06
ANSWERS ARE NOT DEFINITE
Secretary Shaw Receives Replies to letter.
Sent to Women.
WILLING TO AID RETURNED TOURIST,
Points Out How Some of AnnOyances
Complained of Can BE Remedied,
but Inspection Necessary
Under the Law.

WASHINGTON, April 5.-Secretary Of the
Treasury Shaw has sent a letter to each OF
the women who recently signed a paper
addressed to him complaining of the ILL
treatment, etc, at the hands Of baggage
inspectors at the port OF New York. The
letter states than on receipt of the petition
a circular letter was sent to each signer
asking a more specific statement and the
facts upon which the conclusion recited In
the petition were based. This circular was
sent to 1920 women, whose addresses were
given in the petition. A little over 300
were returned for want OF sufficient ad-
dress. or the remaining 700 the department
has received 1856 answers on the following
grievances:
Thai rceipted bills are not accepted as
proof Of value, hat duties are often i'm
posed upon old clothing, that trunks are
emptied on the wharf, that impertinent
questions are asked and remarks made
which are humiliating. The answers the
secretary says. may be summarized as fol-
lows:
Character of Answers.
Number who report illegal demand by
officer, none; number who claim TO have
paid on non-dutiable articles, 8; number
who report having had receipted bills as
cceipted biIis were not accepted as proof, /;
number who say receIpted bills were ac-
cepted. as proof, IS; number who claim to
have been personally Inundated by i'm
pertinent questions, 6; number who com
plain Of discourtesy, Z; number VINO com
plain ESSn o6 Of iasOle o9 S,s OF offisfESi 81 b oSiaegs,
5; lumber who report having, been cour-
teously treated, Sc; number who complain
OF delay, 6; number who have other specific
grievances, IT,; number who object to
method of inspection, 46; number who say
they have, had no personal experience u;
number who have not been abroad In three
years, 6; number who have never been
abroad, 4; number who report having
who signed on general principles" l;
humble who object to making any dec
laration, Al; number who object to the 800
inspectors, 2; number who know of bribery,
3; number who reiterate the declarations
contained in the original petition, favor
who object to the departments letter OF
inquiry, 2.
Charges Are Indefinite.
The want Of definite charges, the secre-
tary's letter continues, renders II we'll
nigh impossible to conduct a specific in
vestiEation. The department, he says, will
do all In It's power to remove legitimate
cause Of complaint to the minimum. The
secretary says he is surprised that the
women who signed the petition report so
little personal Inconvenience Continuing,
he says:
II the piers were the property of the
United States very important changes
might be made. l have requested that the
several steamship companies provide q
special room or hat they allow the GOV,
need be, portable counters, with screens
about them, so as 10 permit seclusion. To
this end i suggest that the women who
have so courteOusiy called my attention e
this evil join In soliciting the steamship
companies to cooperate in r~emedying the
same,
strict Enforcement of Schedule.
It is gratifying to recall that the origina,
| petition directs attention to the fact thai
the signers are d~estroyers OF the enforce
ment OF the law. Quite a number OF the
responses to the departments circular let
ter a strict enforcement OF tht
statute against such persons as attempt q
smuBgle.
The secretary then quotes the law re.
Earding a declaration and an examination