Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-10-28
MAXWELLRACER
Still Held in
CANADIAN CITY

Disclaiming any intention OF Cana
dian custom officials to be discourte-
Gus to American tourists, Commission
er Herbert Cuthbert of the Victoria &
Island Development Association OF
Victoria, b. c., has taken steps TO
correct the impression which arose
when the famous Maxwell nonstop car
was seized in Vancouver, B. c., by
the Canadian authorities and is still
under litigation.
Without going into the merits of
the Maxwell case, the commissioner
declares Canadian officials must have
been convinced that something had
been done contrary to the ordinary
usage, or the car would not have been
seized.
At the present time, the case is
pending in Ottawa, the Maxwell tour
lists who were promoting coast
highway and making a nonstop run
from the Mexican border to Van
couyer, B. C., having been permitted
to leave the country.
The communication, in order that
the Canadian as well as the American
side of the question may be aired, is
puDl1SneQ as IOIloWS:
The unfortunate experience of Al
Waddell and Jack Griffin when they
arrived at Vancouver in the famous
Maxwell nonstop car, which has been
published in the press of the entire
coast, is calculated to give motor
tourists a wrong impression of the
customs officials and their methods
in Western Canada.
Whatever may have been the ex-
perience of these two gentlemen, there
is absolutely no doubt but what the
American tourist who owns his own
car, and who enters Canada to tour
for pleasure, is treated with more
courtesy by our customs officials. es-
pecially in Victoria, than by officials
of any similar department in any part
of the world, and this is not to dis
parage In any way the kindly spirit
in which Canadians are received by
the United States officials.
in addressing a rotary club lunch
con in Victoria some time ago, Thad-
deus NJ Lane, president of the Inland
Empire Automobile Club, Spokane,
said he was going to publish it far
and wide. that it was easier to enter
Canada than It was to enter some OF
the states In the United States. 1t is
only during the past three days we
have had letters from wealthy Ameri.
cans in different parts of the United
States, compiimenting US upon the
courtesy Of our. customs officials.
I'VE all regret to the utmost that
our friends in charge of the Maxwell
car should have had any trouble in
connection with their trip to Canada.
but knowing our officials as / do,
these gentlemen must have made
some error in conducting the business
upon which they were engaged, as to
constitute breach of the extremely
lenient customs regulations which
have been provided in order to facili.
tate the entry into the Dominion OF
automobiles solely on pleasure bent
and which are not intended in any way
to cover the admission of cars, or OF
persons in charge of them, for bust.
ness,
I'VE cannot understand how any
customs official could have acted as
he is reported to have done, without
being convinced that some such
breach had been made; while at the
same time we are perfectly certain
that neither Mr.. Waddell or Mr.. Grit
fin had the slightest intention of com
hitting any such breach and we're
probably not aware that they had done
so.
"However, it would be very unjust
to Canada and to our customs Of
ficials, If an incident like this should
be allowed to prejudice tourists
against making the tour through Brit
ish Columbia, and THE Island Of a
Thousand Miles of Wonderland"
reached from Victoria, B. G.
I'VE are daily in receipt of letters
from all parts of the United States
congratulating us upon our magnifi-
cent scenery, splendid roads and above
all upon the ease with which our
courteous customs officials allow
them to enter our territory"