Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 274, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 November 1913 — PLUMAGE IS TAKEN [ARTICLE]

PLUMAGE IS TAKEN

Woman With Aigrettes in Hats Have Interesting Time. New Tariff Bill Forces Very Disagreeable Duty Upon Customs Officials —Feminine Headgear Is Badly Mutilated. New York.' With the passage of the new tariff bill the customs official has had thrust upon him a new and disagreeable office. He must tear out the aigrettes and plumage of foreign birds that women passengers are wearing in their hats when they arrive in American ports. When the Underwood bill went into effect, a score of women on the French liner Lorraine were subjected to this treatment. Their indignation was so great they could not contain themselves. Recriminations were heaped on the inspectors, who were acting in the only way that insured the execution of the clause forbidding the importation of aigrettes or the plumage of any wild bird. Try as they could, the customs men were unable to make the women understand they were carrying out orders. Disorder and confusion prevailed. This probably will be the rule, steamship men say, every time an Inspector steps aboard a vessel. Mme. Ada Bevilaqua was one of the first to suffer. She was dressed in ultra-Parisian style and an aigrette set off her small velvet hat Mme. Bevilaqua said she was being scrutinized and grew embarrassed. She learned the worst a second later when an inspector, a veteran, who feared neither the cold glare of a woman passenger nor the angry swearing of a man bearing dutiable tobacco or liquor, stepped forward and started the program. “Your hat, madam,” the Inspector said. “We must have that aigrette.” Mme. Bevilaqua looked astonished, then became Indignant It was not until the inspector reached out and took the feather that she realized what was wanted. Then the customs man explained the provision of the law under which he was acting, and the woman was loud in her denunciation. “My milliner never told me a word about that,” she said angrily, and the inspector, shrugging his shoulders, remarked by way of consolation that a good many American women who are homeward bound with Paris bonnets are going to suffer a keen disappointment when they arrive at this port. Before the passengers of the Lorraine had been cleared, a great pile of aigrettes, feathers and stuffed birds had been collected. And for each of the exhibits, which might be called No. 1 in Uncle Sam's new tariff trial, in which thousands of American women travelers are to be the defendants, the inspectors received sarcastic remarks and acrid adjectives. The "chivalry” of the “gentlemen” who drew up the tariff was touched upon time and again. Taking courage from the example the Inspector who attacked Mme. Bevilaqua, the rest of the force went to work with zest Milliners' decorations worth several hundred dollars were conflcated on the Lorraine. The customs men got busy also on the Campania of the Cunard line, which arived later. A collection of bird of paradise was found in short order by the Inspectors. The trunks of the women passengers were ransacked for thmn. Plumage seized was turned over to the appraisers, who will Bet a price on each piece and send word to the owners, who will be permitted to return them to the dealer from whom they were purchased. If anything

goes wrong with this program and the feathers stay here, the travelers will be guilty of smuggling.