The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-02-16

Fretting and fuming. clustering and
pleading, threatening and tempting.
scores stood at the LusitanIa's pier
LOT over two houra the ether day
because Uncle Sam had to be con-
WINGED that they were not trying ~
smugxie something ashore. They
were ocean travellers whose luggage
was being rurnmaged right there on
the dock when, In truth, they need
not have been detained single
moment II O very feasible change Ia
the governmental inspection system
were put In operation.
Here's the scheme. It proposes n
customs examination of the luggage
or ocean voyagers at sea, thereby end
Ing the vexations, boresome and irri-
tating delay Of hours at a penned un
, pier after debarkation.
. Sounds too chimerica1 for cred
enee? Can't be done? Absurd ?
Listen to the prelude and follow the
plan. Call TO mind while doing so
that saving two hours at the pier Ia
the same as IL the transatlantic
steamship lines had just sent forth
on her maiden voyage a vessel cana
Bile OF beating the speed record be-
tween Daunts Point and Sandy Hook
lightshfp by that same two hours.
Time saved whether on water or piers
is time saved.
No one will deny that the weary
Journeyer from abroad, after he has
spent the best part of a week within
the circumscribed cabin and deck
limits OF an ocean liner. lis driven to
the verge OF tantalized frenzy when
the luggage rurnmage begins Why
shouldn't he be able to step ashore
the same as from a North River fer
ryboat? Step down with no more
hindrance than there is to alightinr
from a train that has carried him
snlI the mileage from San Francisco
to New York;
Just when New York looks best to
him and he wants to stretch his legs
and kiss a clean piece of Manhaf-
tanese soil out of sheer home again
delight the journeyer is hemmed in
like zoo exhibit because he Is con-
sidered guilty and must prove his in
nocence of intent TO graft on the
government. Why should he be thus
baited Ii 1t may be avoided? II You
are = vosager you are all you look
specifically, and in addition you're
a seethsng volcano of anathema be-
meath. with millions of mental male
dictions thrown in.
One Of those things, you say. that
can't be cured and therefore must be
endured. The cure lies in solving the
problem by the rules OF simple arith-
metic- Try this on your slate:
If 1T take 1i5 customs inspectors
on New York pier an average Of
two hours TO clear the Lusitania, how
many customs inspectors working
eleven hours daily on board the Lusi-
tania en- voyage will be required to
examine all luggage and have the
vessel cleared while she steams from
England to America?
- Catch the idea7 The problem Of
having steamer already cleared
when she docks is solved by the ex-
animation of luggage at sea- Youll
probably start off by saying II IL inn
possible. then you'll rec@de to "ffn
practicable" then STAY you doubt that
Ii can be done. and firelly decfara i
may be IL II doesn't cost too much.
Here lis the pier inspection curse cure
in general;
aboard ships the Same as ocean rfaal
clerks do now. Customs inspectors
are TO examine luggage aboard ships
the same as mal3 clerks sort mail
now. And as transatlantic mail is
sorted and carried off vessels 49, soon
as they dock. likewise the lugEage OF
travellers may be examined en- route
so that they may disembarlS i'm
mediateiy4 having the saff1e rights and
facilities. surely. az mail matter.
According to recent data there are
about ninety mail clerks employed
on the English. German and French
steamship plying between here and
the main travel ports of the countries
named On British vessels there are
four clerks generally, and on German
vessels seven, of which three are as
signed to the rougher work, or hand
ling of the heavier mail.
These men work eleven hours daily.
That is. they must work at the rate
of eleven hours a day 10 keep up with
their task, and longer or shorter ac~
cording as their work has progressed.
They must sort. distribute and prop
erly pouch about 1850 sacks of mail
per voyage. Let us suppose that we
decide to have luggage examined en-
route. We will first take up the ques-
ton OF the number of men needed
per vessel and economically compare
with the number performing the mail
service work
tie customs service assigns to the
clearing OF steamship like the Lusi-
tania about lis inspectors, some
times a few more, sometimes few
less. The lis In good general aver
age These lis inspectors examine
all the luggage of passengers disein-
barking at the Cunard pier In from
two to three hours. The flrst cornpar-
tson with the mail service resolves
into sum in arithmetic.
:. II 1I5 inspectors can clear the Lusi-
LAnla III. SSy lNN AA& 1oN-as AiA ASaATs
1t In u matter of short calculation to
show that six men. working eleven
hours per day. the same as the mail
clerks, could perform the customs
task In the aggregate OF tifty~five
working hours on the five day voyage
between ports. This gives an average
of two more clerks than are assigned
to British vessels and one less than
to German vessels. The quotient six
in the computation. however, is a
liberal allowance of five men plus In
the division, so that the number OF
inspectors proposed per vessel Is I'm
average no more nor less than 'ffses
mail clerk quota.
Mail clerks on ocean steamers are