Mr. Hay to Mr.
Clayton.
Department of State,
Washington, September 4,
1903.
No. 942.]
Sir: Referring to previous correspondence in
relation to the collection of an alien tax at El Paso, Tex., from the
Japanese chargé d’affaires at Mexico City, I transmit for your further
information copies of a letter from the Acting Secretary of the
Department of Commerce and Labor and its inclosure from the inspector in
charge of the customs office at El Paso, Tex., from which it appears
that no one produced any proof either to Mr. Woodside, who represents
the Mexican Central Railroad, or to the customs office, that Mr. Shinobu
had left the United States, and as no one made demand that the money be
refunded, a receipt was issued to Mr. Woodside for the amount of the
tax.
Iam, etc.,
[Inclosure.]
Mr. Garfield to
Mr. Hay.
Department
of Commerce and Labor,
Washington, September 1,
1903.
Sir: In further relation to your
communication of August 19, 1903, in which you transmit, for the
information of this Department, copy of a dispatch from the United
States chargé d’affaires ad interim at Mexico City, in relation to
the collection of an alien tax at El Paso, Tex., from the Japanese
chargé d’affaires at Mexico, and of my reply thereto dated August
21, 1903, the Department is now in receipt of a communication from
the inspector in charge, to whom the correspondence was referred,
and begs to inclose copy of same for your further information.
Respectfully,
James Rudolph
Garfield,
Acting
Secretary.
[Subinclosure.]
Mr. Adams to
Commissioner-General of
Immigration.
United States Customs Service,
Office of the
Collector, Chinese Bureau,
El
Paso Tex., August 27,
1903.
Sir: In regard to the refund of deposit
made by Jumpie Shinobu, chargé d’affaires of Japan, who entered the
United States at this port July 24, 1903, will say that no one
produced any proof either to Mr. T. J. Woodside, who represents the
Mexican Central Railroad, or to this office, that Mr. Shinobu had
left the United States, and as no one made demand that the money be
refunded receipt was issued to Mr. Woodside August 11, 1903, for the
amount.
As to that part of letter signed Fenton E. McCreery, in which he
writes that Mr. Shinobu was threatened with expulsion from the
United States in case he should decline to pay his head tax, would
reply that the conductors on the Mexican Central Eailroad, whose
duty it is to collect said tax for the company, are very courteous,
and while they try hard to collect what they think is due the
company they have orders in case anyone refuses to pay, to allow
them to pass; and in several instances this has occurred.
Respectfully,
Louis Adams,
Inspector in Charge.
