Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-07-18
NEW CUSTOMS REGULATIONS
Better Accommodations for Ocean
Travellers after August Is.

Washington. D. c., July 16Good
news for American travelling abroad Is
contained In the treasury Department.
announcement that new baggage regula-
tons will be put in effect at United
States Custom Houses about August j.,
which will relieve the travelling public
Of embarrassing heretofore attending
the landing. No change is made in the
limit Of 800 placed on personal property
which may be brought in duty free, but
the new rules will make radical change
from the present system
Soon after assuming office" saws the
official statement, "Secrctary Cortelvou
decided that the object ionaNle and en-
, barrassing features of tho examination
| should he done away with so far as
! possible within existing law. and that
| the comfort and convenience of the pass
enger should have more attention Act
| Ing under his Instructions. Assistant
Secretary Reynolds has worked out the
| details of the new system
There are two features IN connec-
ton with the present examination Of
passengers baggage that are especial
~ the subject OF complaint by the
travelling public. One is the herding
the steamship during the last hour Of
the trip. In order to have declarations
made out before customs officer.
Such declarations, made In the rush
and confusion that mark the end of
the voyage, are unsatisfactory to the
| government officials and certain
source OF annoyance to the passengers.
THE other feature Is the oath that
has been required when the declara =
ton Is made, which involves the prop
osition Of compelling the passenger to
make oath as to what foreign articles
his baggage contains and Immediately
thereafter searching his baggage ia
see whether or not he has told the
truth under oath. Secretary Cortelyou
believes these two features can be
eliminated with no harm to the reve-
lnues and no danger to government IN
lterests.
THE new system will change this
Declarations will be distributed to the
passengers during the early part OF
1.-THE voyage TO this country and mad,
out by them at their leisure. This
declaration will be simple and straight
forward. containing nothing compli
Gated or mysterious, and Its instruc
tions will tell the passengers to pu
down the different articles acquired b,
him while abroad. together with thei
cost OF value.
Some time before the last day of tn
voyage these declarations will be collect
ed by some officer of the ship, who will
be held responsible both by the stea ms hi,
company and the department for tn
work OF seeing that such n written state
work il received from each passonge
When the customs officers board the sh
in the harbor a deputy collector will &c
from the steamship officer all of the dec
larations as so made out and declare ther
( 10 the chief representative OF the sur
veyor on the dock.
, when the decla ration is handed to tn
steamship officer a coupon will be handle
!, 10 the passenger which will be his receip
- After the baggage Ia landed and properl
piaced on the DICK ready for customs ir
spcetion, the passenger win present th
coupon to the p,oper representative OF I'll
surveyor and secure the services OF a
inspector, who Will oxamine his baggae
and verify tho declaration previousl
matia by him Oh board ship, No oath {
any Bind or character will DO required