CUSTOMS EXAMINATION OF LUGGAGE.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13363, 3 March 1909, Page 8

CUSTOMS EXAMINATION OF LUGGAGE.

TO THE EDITOR OP "THE PRESS." Sir, —1 see that Mr Kaye liuis again j approached tho Minister of itaiiways in connection with this matter. Portonally, 1 have my doubts as to whether the examination of luggage in Christchurch would be the ble&singthat Mr Kaye would have us believe. And in fairness to tho travelling public 1 beg of you (sufficient space in your paper to state the position as it is and as it would be. On the arrival of an over-sea vessel, the Railway Department place alongside a truck for tlie hold luggage, and one for tho cabin luggage, and as soon as the hold luggage is out, both trucks are hauled, tree of charge, to tho examination shed, where it is passed, awl then j railed to Christchuroh. If a steamer arrives late, say, 11 a.m., and southern ! passengers want, to connect with tho j second express, they can take a ship's j sid« delivery of their luggage, have it | passed, and then catch the 11.20 train | riom Lyttelton, and so connect. And | likewise, passengers having valuable ! harjd packages -may retain possession of them, and thus prevent loss or I theft. Now, supposing tho oxamLna- ! tion takes place in Christchurch, tho | position would be that passengej-s j would be compelled to hand over to j tlie Railway .department all hand ! packages which the Department carries | to Christchurch, at the sole risk of the j owner. Perhaps Mr Kaye, to further his idea, would take the risk, and pay any claims arising. I consider Mr Kaye's idea of locking tho truck impracticable, for covered waggons would not only delay the handling, but two or three of them would be required to take tho place of an ordinary "L" waggon. Again, oven tuppoemg the Customs authorities wore willing to ! permit passengers to take small packages with them, r.nat is to prevent them leaving the -frain at any of tho stations en routo to Christchurch, escape tho examination, and probably defraud the Customs thereby? Again, to my mind, a very serious and expensive inconvenience would occur in tho case of a steamer's lato arrival, say, 10 a.m., which is not unusual; passengers for the south couW not possibly connect with the express. Mr Kayo must not forget that all tho passengers are not for Christchurch, that other than feYry passengers have to travel by the ordinary train, that luggage is not discharged in five, ten, nor fifteen minutes, and that luggage ! other than that ex the ferry steamer must also travel by tne ordinary timei table train ; and this does not afford tho quick connection etrectcd by the ferry train. Taking the order of things which would happen on the arrival of Hrimo luggage, and occasionally- intercolonial, in the quantities that it droes, there is not sufficient shed room on the Christchurch passenger platform to accommodate it, so tkat it would have to be railed to one of the goods shods. and passengers hound south would havo i to have it carted back to the pas- j | scnger platform. If Mr Kaye would ! spend as much time and use n> much j influence in trying to improve the port ' that has served him so well, as he dors in endeavouring to cripple it, he would \ t.a!k lc-.>5 buncombe about Lytteltcn j I than he does. —Yours, etc., PRACTICAL.