The sun., 1913-10-19
UNCLE SAM SEVERE
WITHPLUME WEARERS
Many Taken to Custom House
to Swear to Dec
laratiOrS.
lN CLASS BY THEMSELVES
other Arrivals Make Dcclara-
tions Before Deputies
on the Piers.
is CLASS BY THEMSELVES

Young woman who arrived at Hobo
hcu Yesterday morning by the Hamburg
American liner Amerika wore a bird OF
,a,adisc in her hat. An inspector asked
l,r with politeness. authorized by Col
..,,or Mitchell II the ornament was
bought abroad She said it was not. and
A. then told her that he WAS sorry but
sh- would have to accompany him to the
custom House. Meanwhile the young
wouans baggage was held pending her
r,appcarance on the pier. Several other
women passengers who had aigrettes
,puf.ss,d that they had bought them
abroad and were told to go to their
cabins. remove them and turn them over
to the inspectors. They did this. some
protesting that they were unaware Of
'hc law rruhibting the bringing in OF
feathers of wild birds The value of most
Of the plum,s ,oniiscated was small.
swear. In Her bird Of Paradise.
Tic Young woman with the bird Of
paradise went with an inspector to the
sixth floor of the Custom House and was
taken tu the desk of member OF the
law division. He gave her II printed form
on which she declared that she bought the
decoration III this country. She raised
her hand on request and swore that she
mad told the truth. Then she went back
10 Hobpk"n with the inspector.
Tie young woman from the Amerika
was about the twentieth person who has
been held up and taken to the Custom
House To- make sfiidavits about hat
plumeS Ordinary declarations affecting
dutiabe articles are made on the piers
in the presence of deputy surveyor
who has blanks for passengers to sign
The Inspectors and some Of the deputy
surveyors are wondering why a declara-
ton about plumes cannot be made on
piers also The trip to and from Hobo
ken j. at the expense of the inspector In
charge Of the case, and he has no way TO
gct back his fare. and in some instances
that of the woman under detention.
A good many members OF the customs
force. high and low. say that the law is
faro.cal and that there is no way to find
ont whether oi not passengers are telling
t0e truth about plumss they bring in. The
egil talent of the Custom House Is in
ciiu'd to regard the law or rather the
pr' sent system of enforcing it. as open to
question. It Is said that inasmuch AS
tr. ldW absolutely prohibits the importa-
t..n cf the feathers OF certain Wild biz ds
nd the dead birds themselves. they
-"'uld lee put IN the same category as
p I'm. ANA should be confiscated and de-
,tr"H'd. whether they are bought abroad
or aF~ returning from "A trip abroad. Some
- experts doubt the legality o: per-
hitting women who have bought plumes
abroad to give bond for them and have
tE, IN eN1ur,ed and sold on the other side.
Why Customs Men Call II Q Farce.
II s certain from the viewpoint OF GUS
'oms men who nave made a study Of the
i", ulla.'tl's uf Women passengers bring
-"- in dutidlr goods that many women
Wei not hesitate 10 make affidavi;s to get
what they want admitted free of duty
TrIt is why the customs men look upon
ne present method Of attempting to en-
force the law as farcica
ono Of the officials who are interes sted
p the confiscation OF a!SIettes said yes
i'rday that he had noted that all. or
ncAr!y all. of those given up on the piers
were of cheap sort, and that those which
'n" women retained by trip to the Gus
IN House were costly.