Evening journal., 1906-07-26
Agents Attempt to Work Mag
iStrate For Excess Charges
and Claims Are Exposed
MERCHANTS FORMALEAGUE

Evidence that the overcharging and
duplicate charging by express COM
pany agents and employees in this city
has not altogether ceased is forth
coming in several recent occurrences
here within the past week.
Some few months ago The Evening
Journal exposed in a series of articles
{ the working of a system by which
shippers and receivers in this city and
elsewhere were being mulcted out Of a
goodly sum of money each week by
the agents of the local express COM
panies.
For a time merchants reported that
better state Of affairs prevailed and
they were diligent in following up the
matter of shipment charges on all
goods delivered to them or which they
sent.
OF ate, however, some of them have
neglected the proper care in the mat
ter and as a result the system is be-
ing worked again.
philadelphia Exposure.
In Philadelphia a wholesale exposure
Of the methods Of agents and drivers
of Adams Express Company is threat
ened and following an investigation
already some arrests have been made.
The plan worked there differed in no
respect from that followed here and in
other cities.
A driver in the rush of preparing
his list of packages to deliver marks
up his own report blank very often.
He overlools the word prepaid" on
many tags and marks up a charge. "
This he collects from the indignant
party who gets the package and who
is at the agents mercy. 1t is always
a case of pay what is asked or you
do not get your package.
Excess Changing Worse.
In the excess charging department,
however. the greatest and most extern
sive losses to the consigners occurs.
Very few people are able to secure
a complete list Of express company
rates for shipment throughout the
country The rates change so frequent
. ly and vary with weight so that the
shipper is at a great disadvantage
When therefore an agent of an express
company presents a package at your
home and says There's fifteen ol
twenty or thirty cents due on this
Not enough was paid" The consigne,
either pays the money or calls up tn,
Office Of the company to find out, and
in the latter case he gets very littl,
] satisfaction.
Nobody Exempt From Plan.
No class of citizens are exemp
from the working Of this graft scheme
IT.. afas Har
shipping by express rely upon thl
agents statement of the cost and PAL
the bill.
Even magistrates are not exemp
from the attempt to fleece the con
signee out of money. Magistrate Hol
lis has recently had several demand
made upon him for excess charges, tn
amounts being greater even than h
knew the ordinary charge in full 70
the shipment would cost. After sew
eral demands he succeeded in getting
his money back.
Magistrate Pyle a Victim.
The other day Magistrate Alton c
Pyle received a basket of plums fror
a shipper in the south. on the ia
was marked in large black letter
Prepaid" The Adams Express agen
in this city called to deliver the baske
! and demanded s1.0O as the goods wer
billed in this office collect" Judg
Pyle Immediately began an investi
CATION and for two days could get n
satisfaction from the local office. II
finally received the shippers receir
Showing that the express charges wer
prepaid and were only eighty cents.
Forming Shippers League.
These instances Of recent extortio
are as numerous as ever again an
steps are being taken in the city I
form a shippers and merchants leagu
to secure the rights of shippers wit
the express companies.
This league will be organized with
a few days" said one of the merchant
interested, "and its object will be
furnish information regarding expires
rates. secure the repayment of II
overcharges in all cases where mercl
ants, shippers or consignees have ev
dence of payment of the same comp
II possible the publication Of rates 4
the express companies the same q
freight rates are published, and en-