Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-04-15
SECRETARY SHAW WANTS THE
REGULATIONS ENFORCED.

The new secretary of the treasury
has given the complaining women the
greatest consideration and extended
all that courtesy that could be expect
ed to an indignant number of women
who seem to think that the customs
laws should not be applied to them
and their belongings. 1t is said that
one thousand women joined in adj
dressing letter to the. secretary COM
plainiu" of i'll treatment at the New
York customs house upon the arrival
OF European steamer on which they
We're passengers. The burden of the
complaint is that baggage inspectors
were not always satisfied with the
sworn statements of passengers but
that trunks were overhauled and ex-
amined and impertinent ques-
lions asked There are no definite
charges against any particular in
spector, but the complaint is made
general and against all of them
II the government officers did not
enforce the laws at tho custom house
against smuggling, there would be
but very little revenue money collect
ed. The ways of the smuggler are
very devious. AS all instance, there
are high duties imposed upon dia-
monds, but one smuggling dealer car
ried on his trade with daring success
for several years and accumulated
large sums of money. 1t seemed i'm
possible to connect him with the
crime and he boosted of his fine adj
dress and cunning. 1t was at last de-
veloped that he placed his diamonds in
a package that would float well in the
water and when New York harbor was
reached he would throw the package
overheard, and it was picked up by a
boatman, through arrangement, and
brought to shore.
This is only one example of the
shrewd methods adopted to evade the
customs laws. The officers of the
treasury department, from the secre-
tary down to the lowest baggage in
spector, are sworn to enforce the reg
ulations without regard to the stand
ing of the persons who are affected. 1t
is not always the poorly dressed man
or woman who is smuggler, but it
may be the fashionably dressed lady
or gentleman who from outward ap-
pearance would scorn to do mean
thing TOR the sake of a dollar. The
inspector has to deal with all on the
basis of equality; he has right to eX-
anime baggage il he suspects fraud,
and he becomes such an adept in the
business that he is scarcely ever mis-
taken.
1t does seem that those who are in
nocent would not have a word to say
against close inspection of their bag
bage, but it is, however, very easy to
believe that the one who has been
guilty or who contemplates violating
the revenue law would protest Wig
orously in order to secure mere per-
functory sort of an examination at the
custom house.
Secretary Shaw has never made
suggestion that he suspects fraud in
any particular case, but he has cour-
teously informed the compliments
that the department has prepared a
circular containing information that
will be of great assistance to travellers
in making Up correct schedule of
their effects.
1t is gratifying to realize that al
though secretary Shaw has gone to
the extreme of courtesy in answering
these compliments, he has not for a
moment intimated that there will be
any less rigid enforcement of the
rules as they have always been prac-
ficpd