Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-04-06
AND
VISA FEES

PASSPORT and visa ices collected by
the Department OF State under the m
creased raJcs set by the Act of June
Z. 1920, have been sufficient to render
these services selt-sUPPOrting and
-how an additional profit Of over s.,
100000 for the tirse year, according
TO the National Bank Of Commerce IN
New York. However, these fees and
the equally high ones levied by other
countries in retaliation against the
United States have led many Amerl-
can business men and tourists to con-
denim the system IS an intolerabIe eX-
pcase.
AN american going abroad finds
it necessary TO provide hmSeit win
u passport which costs 94U, 1ne BANK
says ut me aFru numoe. oil Us mag
aZlEc, Commerce monthly. Inc
charges Tor VisaS vary, DGt Tor inc
maIOrIy CL European countries they
are $40. IN some cases Ii the Wlle IS
mcluGed III the passport a douo!e lee
must De paid, and prop0r(On&te III
crease Tor eacn cana, II any accom-
pany HIM. ii ne IS gong 70 q country
IN the interior ana must cross me
Doruels OF other nations, ne must
nave Inelr yIsGs algnOusn he may
never leave MS railroad tram
throughout his journey length.
The passport ana visa charges M
pOSou ~ OJngrU,s unuer the ACT OF
June 4. 1917 are IrauHIy intended as
q.
hearings before the House Committee
OH tOielgn AuaIrS preceding the pas
sage Oi inc present act the Director
ul tac Consular Service stated that
me expenses OF the state department
IUr Its passport business then apprOA-
mated SlJV,uUU = year. IN adOiv!on,
the expenses of tue diplomatic ana
consular service amounts % some %,
UVJ,UVJ yearly. IN the committee
opinion, expressed by It's chairman,
representative stephen 1. Porter, the
Ilan VINO goes abroad and gets Al! OF
thIs protection that Wu Cnrow around
nam snoud contribute q lar share OF
Oh the cost oil maInJ0innG that SER
vice, Just the same as the taxpayer
IN the city pays small tax Tor the
maintenance Of the police force.
"Thc visa charges, ON the other
hama, were Guectcd against aliens
coming to tins country. These are
rcQuu>d to procure against ports
from their own governments ana TO
have them visaed by an American con-
suar officer before being allowed TO
embark. The United States now
charges 50 tor visamg foreign pass
port, Plus an application lee OF 81.
al the then existing rate Of 81,
The passport system brought into the
$l63, OUU Tor the fiscal year ended June
30. 1920. Passport receipts Of De
parrmant OF State for the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1921, the first year
under the new rates, amounted TO 81,
Izl,OOJ. This was an increase OF ST.
2jS,OU0. Similar results have follow
ed the higher visa charge. For the
fiscal year ended June 80, 1920, under
the foe OF 81, the Consular Bureau OF
the State Department reported income
from visa fees of about $l55,0O0 and
other consular fees of $2,63I00O, q
total Of $22,792,0OO For the ensuing
year under the increased rates the m
come from visa fees was estimated al
53,5CO,O 900, with other fees amounting
to S3.4lGO00, giving total o. S0,9l1,-
600.
1t follows that the passport and
consular services Oi the STATE De
paItmen., whose combined yearly
cost OF $6, 10000 the higher fees were
ca.cul,ted to relieve, produced in the
frs. year of the new system q COM
biacd revenue Of St0,35S 900, an IN
crease IN one year OF SG,3o3,GOO and
a r~oit above the estimated op1rat-
Ms c,rt OF $2,lS0,O0O.
"Td. visa fees imposed by Congress
nave no direct bearing on Americans.
Th.y nave, however, resulted in re-
taudtory measures BY other countries
whose Americans required when they
travel. Some, particularly Great
Er.tpr, protested the action OF the
,riJed States IL setting 50 hign
price On IL, visa when issued to tht"
subjects. When protests awaited
nothing, they oQualiZod the score by
taisir. their own fees against Amer
leans o the same amount. As . re-
suit, charges against Americans ii
some cases are five err more times the
ices paid by other nationals.
There have been many complaints
By American business lien and cham
bees Of commerce. Those bodies pro
test hat the business man who seeks
markets abroad and travels through
many countries, the middle-class Ann
ericau who seeks the educa.iona. adj
vantdges of q summer tour, and many
others find present pasSror, and visa
charges an iucolera6le expense. 1t
Is believed with this feeling, but Con-
gross alone has power to change the
rates.
a reduction Of .he United States
visa fec would result in direct saw
NIX f1r American travellers, since
there would then no longer exist rea-
son for the discriminatory charges
imposed on them by foreign govern
mcnts. The fact thai me passport and
consular services are now setf-sus-
Gaining is, however, an argument thai