Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1909-06-18
Variance in Express Rates.

SsSAASS
The Iron Age calls attention to fact
generally unknown, that for the carry
ing of small packages the express COM
panies have two rates-one regular, I"
which is paid by the man who simply
hands over his parcel and leaves the
fixing of the charge to the company's
clerk, and another, considerably lower,
which can be obtained by anybody who
knows of its existence and simply asks
for it.
Packages of merchandise worth less
than $40, if the fact be stated at ship
ment and prepayment made, will be
carried to any point in the United
States or Canada, regardless of dis
tance, for one cent an ounce, with a
minimum charge of ten cents. The
rate for advertising matter is still low
er-one-half cent an ounce with mini
mum charge of ten cents.
Illustrating how the method works,
The Iron Age says that parcel weigh
ing sixteen ounces and valued at $40
was recently left at New York office
of one of the large express companies
for shipment to town in that state.
The regular rate was one dollar per
100 pounds, and twenty-five cents mini
mum for one pound or less. The rate
given by the clerk was Is cents, but
when request was made for reduced
rate, 16 cents was given. While in
this case the package was to be car
ried only 300 miles, the charge tor
5000 miles would have been no more.
To the shippers criticism of him for
quoting the higher rates the clerk ans
wered that the lower rates were given
when called for, and not otherwise.
The Iron Age notes that in this case
the penalty for lack of knowledge
would be SO per cent. which leads it to
say that latter all this is only another
example, of which the woods are full
of the penalties which are enforced on
carelessness or ignorance in business
matters. Another would be-, says
the House Furnishing Review, "that
the express companies, while willing to
make concessions to those who send
small packages, make up for it by
charging the occasional customer a
much higher rate-which some might
say has perilously close likeness to
rebating."
That the express companies may inn
pose two different charges for like SER
vice, one charge in the case of the in
formed, another and higher charge In
the case of the uninformed, reflects lit
tie credit upon the governmental bodies
charged with the supervision of the
rates and the service of these compa-
nies. The latter have been practically
free, ever since establishment, to do as
they please, and only in few states
have their rates been fixed by law on a
basis just to the shippers. Thus in
Iowa, where we indulge the comedy of
a railroad commission. the express
companies are earning from $50 to
more than 200 per cent. per annum or
the assessed valuation of their proper
ty, after deduction of the sums paid by
them to the railroads is made. Per
haps censure should not be disposed or
the the companies, but upon the bodies
charged with their regulation. If the
people are so inconsiderate of theil
own interests as to be willing to pay
for the comedy presented in the STATE
railroad commission, the express com
panies ought not to be censured fol
pocketing the proceeds of the farce.
Telegraph Herald.