The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-08-21
EXPEDITION AND
ACCURACY IN WORK

In a letter signed "One of the Boys
On the Brussels Docks" an attache or
the Commission for Relief in Belgium,
II Broadway, New York, tells interest
ingly of the manner in which food Is
conveyed into Belgium by way OF the
canals from Rotterdam, where 1t Is
transferred from the commission
ships to the canal boats. lie says, IN
part
THE British, French and German
governments have faith in US. The
BeIgians. a people OF successful busi-
ness men trained in all department.
of commerce, have cheerfully stepped
aside to let Us work for them wnen,
by doing SO, the good cause could he
helped, and for this reason the dock
office of the commission shipping de-
partment was established.
During December and January
about one-third of the provisions came
by lighters from Rotterdam to the
Bassin yertgote at Brussels, but now
all of the Commission lighters COM
ing into Belgium are handled by he
Commissions Brussels dock office.
which also forwards all goods beyond
| that city. The result that the cost
has decreased, demurrage ceased, and
the dock, formerly picturesque scene
of the disorder and strenuousness, is
OF Sunday quiet and order. Visitors
are few and the idle curious are kept
away by special policemen in our en-
ploy.
THE picturesQueness. however. Is
not absent On the water the big
Dutch lighters OF 900 to coo tons bur-
den are continually coming in with
| their nations flag flying above their
| orna mented rudders; the big C r.
no. 1sH Il
| German pennant, indicated that they
| nave been examined and passed by
| the German inland the waterway au-
| thorities whose swift gray motor
| boats occasionally rumpled the smooth
| surface of the canals The little Bel
| gian lighters, herded together at the
| lower end of the Basin beside their
clean. freshly painted Dutch cousins,
are alike in having on board the whole
| families OF their captains, all wearing
wooden sabots and each lending hand
when necessary.
Everything Is traced from the
origin to destination. In the we'll
stocked warehouses every pile of pro-
visions Is labeled with the name of
the lighter by which 1T came, and all
railway waybills and packet bills Of
lading show the lighter and ocean
steamer of origin. The warehouses.
y
built with Belgian blocks, covered by
wooden floors of narrow boards spaced
little apart We get them. rent free,
from the Societe du Canal ct des install
lations Maritimes. Bulk grain goes di-
rect to the mills, of which there are
three In operation near Brussels along
the canal, and others at Louvain. After
the grain Is ground into -four II Is
transported by wagons or autom mobiles
to the different communes of a PROV
ince Several wagons, with splendid
Belgian draft horses, are usually drawn
up before the various warehouses and
doors to take on -four or other provis-
IONS the loading being controlled by
1.-The warehousemen, who give to the
drivers the signed slips of paper au-
thorizing him to leave the grounds
with SO many packages for such a
commune. These slips are turned In
l,at our dock office. and serve as a con-
troll.
I'm this manner, from start to finish.
strick account liz made of every pound
Of grain or -four until II finally is sold
or given 10 the people In the shape of
bread. and no losses whatever can be
sustained without immediate detection.
'on the whole, IL Is unlikely that any
similar work is more cheaply and eff
GENTLY done anywhere, and for this
happS result we have. to a great ex-
tent, TO thank all of those with whom
we have business dealings, big and lit
tie alike, for the consideration shown
10 us on account OF the character of
our work"