Evening star., 1902-02-12
A BAGGAGE HEARING
Ladies Protest to Secretary
Shaw.
INSPECTORS' INSOLENOE
MORE INCONVENIENCES THAN IN
EUROPEAN COUNTRIES.
Their Complaints Summarized by Mr..
Kasson - Treasury Department
Will Investigate.

Will xuVeSE1g6te.
Secretary Shaw gave a hearing Of more
than an hour today to four Washington
ladies who desired to protest against the
alleged obnoxious enforcement OF what
they term the disagreeable baggage regu-
lations at the port OF New York. The four
ladies were Mrs. Hobson. Miss Gwynne,
Mrs. Richard Townsend and Miss Mabel
Boardman. They were presented to Sec
retary Shaw by John A. Kasson. who like
wise assisted them in explaining their OBJ
jections to the treatment they have receiv-
ed at the port of New York.
Mrs. Hobson the Spokesman.
Mrs Hobson. as spokesman for the other
ladies. read a number Of letters she had re-
ceived detailing the unpleasant experiences
American lady travellers had encountered
in New York on their return from abroad.
These letters alleged insolent treatment,
overcharge of customs duties and other
things. Mrs. Hobson said that American
ladies are accustomed to being treated so
well that they feel keenly their treatment
at New York on landing from trips abroad.
Mrs. Hobson presented copy of the peti-
ton recently addressed to the President
protesting against the manner In which the
laws in New York are enforced.
Mrs. Hobson said that the experiences OF
some Of the ladies whose letters were read
corresponded with her own. She related
that she had been required to make dec
iaration long before the boat landed as to
what she had in her possession. Notwith-
standing this declaration she had been
forced to wait hours for her baggage to
be examined, and then 1t was turned topsy-
turvey.
Secretary shaw's Inquiry.
Secretary Shaw endeavored to find wheth
er it was objection to the declaration that
the ladies made or to the examination Of
their baggage. They responded that If the
baggage was to be examined despite the
declaration they saw no use in taking an
oath and taking the chances OF involuntary
perjury. Some cf them objected to the
lnousitorial nature of the questions that
had been asked in the declaration they
We're required to make out. Secretary Shaw
responded that the Treasury Department
had noticed this objection an had diScon-
tinued these questions a good while ago.
Mrs Townsend related that she had been
kept on the wharf from 1890 in the morn
ing until $50 in the afternoon. and that
She had been subjected to insolence and
many annoyances She believed that one
Of the examiners was drinking. The exam
ination OF her baggage was delayed until
everybody else had been sent away. She
would not wait longer. and had her bag
gage sent through to Washington in bond,
and had received civil treatment from the
customs authorities at Georgetown. Not
customs payment was only So.
Miss Gwynne said that she had been re-
quired to pay duty on goods bought In this
country before she went abroad. The in
spectors insisted that the goods were
bought abroad and made her pay. She had
no redress except to bring law suit and
she did not care to go through this. Miss
Boardman also related her experiences
Secretary Shaw tried to ascertain whether
it was the manner of the enforcement of
laws in New York or the 500 Hmit of free
duty that was objected to-. Mrs. Hobson
answered that the ladies objected to the
500 limit as offensive and penurious. as
conducive to swindling. Likewise the lady
travellers objected to the manner in which
the law was enforced.
Compelled to Enforce the Laws.
Secretary Shaw said that the Treasury
Department and it's officials were compelled
to enforce the laws In some manner, and
his desire was to have this done as satis-
factorily possible. He would see. too.
that 1t was done. At the same time, he
recognized that American travellers abroad
were prone to buy foreign dresses. He said
that the lady who travelled abroad had as
much right to pay 60 per cent duty on a
Worth gown as the American woman who
remained at home and had to purchase a
gown Of the same make here One was as
much entitled to pay as another. Secretary
Shaw then called attention to some of the
figures OF the department as to the eva
sion OF the declaration of oath. He said
that a number Of the travellers who had
signed the petition to the President were
examples of this. One woman. who had
come In the year before the present laws
were put into execution. had paid no duty
on her representation that she had nothing
dutiable.
The following year. under the new law,
she had made a declaration that she nad
nothing dutable, yet the inspectors had
found that she had to pay the government
5000. He cited many similar instances of
payments Of $1,000 and $1,000 of duties. He
did this he said, merely to point out the
dangers of being too free. Human nature
was prone to smuggling. He would like to
have a plan suggested to him that would
prevent annoyance and at the same time
protect the government.
Mrs. Hobson explained that she had trav-
eled In every country In Europe and hal
had no trouble about her baggage. The
other ladies had similar experiences. They
had not been required at any place to wait
but a short time before their baggage was
passed and they could go to hotels They
saw no reason why this could not prevail in
this country also.
Secretary Shaw said that he found com
paratively few complaints of oyercharges
Of customs duties. He would Investigate
this phase of the matter fully. With the
long list of names submitted to him ne
would have plenty of people who would
furnish statements that would enHble him
to reach the facts. If his own ideas could
be followed. he said. he would permit the
declarations Of passengers to be- followed
and then prosecute those found guilty OF
smuggling.
Mr.. Kasson's Summing Up.
Mr.. Kasson wound up the hearing by
summarizing the objections OF the ladies.
The first objection. he said. was to the
Limitation Ut 800. He pronounced this g
harsh and illiberal arrangement. and said
that vhder the old laws q person was al
lowed to bring In goods according to his
or her condition in life, the customs au-
thorities being the judges OF whetter a
man or woman was bringing over more
than circumstances would justify. That
few New York merchants who thought
they would be benefited by preventing pur-
chase of goods abroad. He suggested that
II Secretary Shaw saw fit he would recon-
mend a change in this law by Congress SO
as to permit Of little more Iiberality.