Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-06-24
The HQSkm Letter
b. FREDERICK
J. HASkM
ALL ABOARD FOR EUROPE.

operate. 1t costs $500, for instance,
to serve a single meal for all the pas
sengers on one of these boats. The
total operating cost for one vessel per
round trip is about $500, 900. And the
! steerage, which formerly produced a
large part of this revenue. now brings
in very little. Some ships, with a ca
pacity for $500 steerage passengers,
are carrying only 300. (Which ex-
| plains" said the I. NJ. NJ. official, why
first-class rates can't come down."
Expense Compared to Railroad Rates
Even so, ocean travel is almost as
cheap as rail travel in the states. 1t
approximates something less than 10
cents a mile, first-class. for the 5000
mile journey across the Atlantic on the
big liners. This charge includes meals
and sleeping accommo dations. There
is a slight flucutation in rates, depend
ing upon the type of ship chosen for
the voyage as well as upon the season
of the year. For instance. the mini
mum rate on a de luxe ship-the Ma
jestic, Olympic Or Homeric-for cross
ing from New York to Cherbourg or
Southampton, is about $21o in each dl-
r%ection, in the height OF the season,
with no extras.
But, alluring as these ships are. with
their Turkish baths, gymnasiums.
swimming pools, tennis courts, huge
bathrooms, and Partisan restaurants
upon their upper decks, it is not neces-
sary for the thrifty traveller to use
them. Cheaper accommodations, equal
ly as comfortable if not so luxurious,
can be obtained on the Liverpool ships,
which take eight days, and on the YES
sells which make Antwerp in nine days.
There are also cabin-class ships which
cross in eight or nine days to Liver
pool and 10 oil IL days to Hamburg.
These last are steady. staunch boats.
ranging from 10000 to 1900 tons in
size, and give excellent service. They
are very popular with old transatlantic
travellers. many of whom can afford
to pay much more than the average
cabin-elass rate. which is now, S125.
There is one regular traveller OF these
boats who wears a zane and white spats
and takes his valee with him.
With the American dollar at its pres
ent high rate of exchange value. Europe
is about the cheapest part of the world
in which an Amrican can spend a va
cation. Railroad travel on the CONT
nent averages about two cents a mile
sometimes less than that. Taxi fares
range from II cents to a quarter. while
extensive motor rides into the country
seldom cost more than a dollar. Living,
also. is much cheaper than it is at
home. This is not SO apparent in the
metropolitan hotels. which charge New
York prices. But in the smaller Eng
lish and French inns, which are most
desirable because of their quaint at
%mosphere. one can secure comfortable
accommodations for about the equiva-
lent of 50 a day.
All of the European nations are now
rutting forth great efforts to attract
The tourist trade. England. especi-
ally. which has been rather indifferent
toward visitors in the past, is proving
unusually cordial this summer. Per
Eans the recent revival of inn-keeping
in the British Isles, which has become
a favorite occupation among ex-sol-
diers. has something to do with this.
Even Germany is exhibiting great hos
pitality toward Americans and their
dollars. in spite of the appalling depre-
cation of the mark. An American with
a small income can now live comfort
ably there on IN amount that would
scarcely maintain him at home-but
not quite so comfortably as n German
citizen could live on the same sum.
For there is one handicap about being
an American in Europe. 1t is difficult
TO conceal the fact from the continental
shopkeepers, who usually have two sets
of prices-one for Americans and one
for the natives.