The representative., 1899-11-09
A VILLAINOUs DEVICE.

A VILLAINOUs DEVICE.
Have you ever read carefully the pro-
visions upon the face of an express com
pany's receipt?
1t is the most inequitable, cunning
and villainous cut-throat contract thai
could be framed by corporation attor-
neys to swindle confding public. The
first time you ship anything by express
go into an express office and read one
of these receipts. 1t is corker. Ex-
press companies are robbing the public
! from start to finish and the great ma
| jority of our we'll informed and intelli-
gent business men are wholly ignorant
! of this fact
| You go to an express Office to send a
| package to distant town. The agent
as starter, demands that you give him
one cent to pay the war revenue tax
that the law contemplates the express
company should pay
| The law provides that persons giving
notes, checks, drafts, money orders and
certain other instruments in writing
| shall affix to each instrument a revenue
| stamp and shall cancel same by writing
or stamping across the face of the stamp
| the date and the name or initials of the
party using the stamp.
The express agent compels you to paw
for the stamp. He then affixes it and
stamps across it's face the date and the
initials of the express company. On the
face OF the receipt it would appear that
the company has complied with the law
requiring that they pay their share of
war expenses. The fact is, you have
paid the company's war tax and on the
face OF the stamp the companys agent
makes the false entry that on the date
indicated the company paid it's war tax.
This is small matter of one cent to
you. 1t means thousands of dollars an
nually to the express companies.
1t is highway AEpbbery, literally, but
the Boston tea party is dead and with
it it's principles. lied.
On the back Qf the express company's
receipts you wifi find the following ad-
vertisement, every clause of which is
negatived by the express provisions on
the face of thegeceipt. The advertise
ment is in coaGse print, designed to
catch suckers, and reads as follows:
SPECI4L FEATURES.
Exclusive Expyess Trains Carrying No
Passengers-absoAute safety and responsi-
bility.-Quickest dispatch and Delivery Ex-
perienced Messengers and Employees
Prompt Settlement of Claims.
Very Low Rates For the Very Best of
Service
Special Attention to Family Packages
Purchases made with Care and Free of
Charge.
On the face of the receipt in fine print
you may find these provisions:
We undertake to forward to the nearest
point OF destination reached by this com
pany, subject expressly to the following con
d1tlons, namely: This company is not to
be held liable for any loss or damage, ex-
cept as forwarders only. Nor shall this
company be liable for any default or negli-
gence by any person. corporation or asso-
citation to whom the above described prop
erty shall or may be delivered by this
company. for the performance of any ait
or duty in respect thereto, at any place or
point off the established routes or lines
run by this company, and any such per-
son, corporation or association is not to be
regarded, deemed or taken to be the agent
of this company for any such purpose, but
on the contrary such person, corporation or
association shall be deemed and. taken to be
the agent OF the person, corporation or as
sociation from whom this company receiv-:
ed the property above described. -szl
1t is further agreed. that his company
is not to be held liable or responsible for
any loss of or damage to said property or
any part thereof, from any cause what
ever, unless in every case the said loss or
damage be proved to have occurred from
the fraud or gross negligence of said COM
pany or their servants; nor upon any prop
erty or thing unless packed and secured
for transportation.
The party accepting this receipt hereby
agrees to the conditions herein contained.
From these provisions it should be
clearly seen by every reader that the
company has renounced all probable
liabilities. s = -
The company receives your packages.
In nine cases out of ten it would be i'm
possible to prove whether it was prop
erly packed for shipment where tho
package is pulverized in transit.
IL Is d. W0ll SOJCloQ pTIuC1plc OF law
that you are yourself liable for the acts
of your own agents, and notice the COM
pany expressly provides that the rail
roads carrying the packages for them,
and the other roads to, whom they may
deliver the packages, are to be consid-
cred your agents. Under this contract
in case of loss or damage. YOU -Gst, be-
fore you can recover, first prove that
your package was properly packed,
against the wholesffce of express com
pany employees wlf6 hazard their jobs
by swearing fqr ssyRu and refusing to
sustain the company
Next, you mdst prove your package
was lost or damaged before it passed |
into the hands of second company or
road. expressive plated to be your
agents. You n lst prove this also, in
opposition to Il + tt that all theevi-
dence is wholly within the knowledge
Of the company.
Any company that will seek to impose