The sun., 1881-12-11
How Our Baggage System Might be
Improved.

IL there Is ono thing as to which all trav-
ellcrs seem to be agreed, it is the superiority
of our method OF billing and identifying
baggage over that pursued In Europe. In
England, you arc not only exposed to cxas-
pcrating delays occasioncd by the Weighing
OF all luggage which is to go into the vans,
but you are obliged to leave your scat at
every junction to SEQ that it is not improp-
erly transferred, as well as to personally
identify it at the place OF arrival. Even on
the Continent although on many roads
Identification is secured by efrectual pre-
cautions, you are annoyed BY similar delays
incident to the Weighing of baggage. or
arising from its examination by Custom
House officers at each frontier.
There is one weak point, however, in our
mode Of billing baggage which might be
eliminated by reproducing one feature OF the
Continental system. We refer to our method
OF identifying baggage by means of metal
plates called checks, one OF which is
attached by n strap to tho article
forwarded, and tho other handel to it's
owner. These metal plates are heavy and
cumbrous, and when passengers baggage
comprises q large number OF pieces they
constitute n decided Inconvenience. Their
cost also forms an item much more consd
crlble than would at first sight be supposed
in the running expenses OF u road. The
work, moreover, oi collecting and redis-
tributing them, which goes on necessarily,
involves much loss OF time and some cx-
pcnse. These are minor objections, how
ever; there are other faults in our
check system which seriously affect
the traveller. One is tho liability to
mistake on the part OF tho railway
employees In the assortment OF tho checks.
There may be one number on the plate
attached to the strap, and another on tho
plato given to the passenger as a receipt.
or course such an error may bo infrcquent
on the part OF an experienced aud vigilant
baggage master; but all the employees
intrusted with the duty OF checking trunks
are not experienced. and, under any circum-
stances, the aggregate OF mistakes commit
ted on road doing great business and
employing multitude OF agents cannot
be insignificant. Accidental, unintentional
errors are not, moreover. the only or most
important source OF loss to the traveller
under our American system OF billing bag
gage. There is also the danger that tho
check fastened with a leather thong to n
L
unauthorized person. and another check, Of
which he has the duplicate. bo substituted.
No observing man can doubt that such
substitution might be easily effected at any
way station whero tie employees arc few
and Overworkcd. on in baggage ears, to
which passengers are freely allowed access
or maay Of our roads.
Ii is suggested b. hIr. n NJ. kIRKMAN,
WHO has recently published n careful study
Of our baggage system, that all the objec-
tons 70 our metal checks might be obviated
hy Rdoptin. the paper way bill or COUPON,
which in use on some of the Continental
railways. Tie plan followed ON those roads
Is 10 paste on each piece of bagsas sc a small
PAPER way bill. ON which is printed the
namo Of the forwarding station. as well as
that OF the station to which the property is
destined Each way hill bears a different
number. IL is. moreover. executed in tripli-
cate, and one OF the two supplementary cuu-
poEs attached to the bill, and similarly
numbered, is torn OF and given TO the pas
seDger. This constitutes a receipt, and the
property is delivered to the holder uron its
presentation at tho place OF destination.
Tho other supplementary slip or coupon Is
retained as voucher or record by the
agent forwarding the property. The
paper way bill. like bank note, can be
made extremely difficult to counterfeit,
and the plate. too. from which 1t is
printed may be changed with little
trouble OF expense. The metal check. on the
other hand. cannot be so easily changed.
and 1t Is. besides. SO crude that any good ma