Out of Order

On a Brooklyn pier one morning last fortnight, a detail of U.S. customs officers quietly moved in on a pile of 600 neat, wooden crates. Customs Inspector Jacob Ehrlich pried into one of the crates with a crowbar. Cried he: "Just as I thought!" His companions pressed closer, saw a gleaming white water closet. They seized the entire $10,500 shipment.

Last week the sobersided Department of Commerce explained: "For some time . . . evidence had been accumulating . . . that abnormally large shipments of water closets were moving into export channels." Commerce had discovered that exporters seemed to be shipping more cast-iron water closets (which require no export license) than manufacturers were making, suspected that many of them were really shipping vitreous china water closets (which, being in "tight supply," do require licenses). Last fortnight's raid clinched it. "Really," said a Commerce official "there has been a hell of a big leak."

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