New-York tribune., 1911-01-21
FOR LOWER EXPRESS RATES
Charges on Through Shipments
ToBe Reduced Ere Long.
COOPERATION THE REASON
Series of Conferences Leads to
Practical Settlement of Coun-
try-Wide Agreement.

The principal express companies OF the
United States have come TO an agreement
for reductions in rates When two COM
panies handle a package hereafter the
charge viii be the same as II one company
had carried the package from shipping
point to destination. The necessary details
are being worked out, and as soon as legal
requirements are complied with the new
plan for through service at through rates
will be put into operation generally be-
tween all express offices IN the United
States.
The meeting Yesterday was one OF a
number OF conferences held recently. There
were present officials OF the principal eX-
press companies Of this country ani Can
ada. including the Adams Express Com
pany. the American Express Company the
Canadian Express Company, the NATIONAL
Express Company. the New York and Eos
ton Dispatch Express Company, the
Northern Express Company the Pacific
Express Company, the Southern Express
Company. the United states Express Com
pany. Wells Fargo & Co, ana the west
ern Express Company.
An official of one of the big express com
panies in discussing the action Of ;he con
ference said last night: The decision
reached to-day whereby a system Of
through shipments between all express Of
rces in the United States will be perfect
ed Is one Of the most far-reaching innova-
tions in the transportation business Whlch
has taken place for many years
1T has always been customary when
express shipments we're handled by two
companies between which Joint rates were
-r,a al Z,
the sum Of The local charges Of each com
pany. Under the new plan the charges be-
tween all Offices will be the same as if one
company had carried the package from
shipping point TO point Of destination.
This will effect radical reduction in
express charges on all shipments 10 or
from what is known as exclusive Offices
that IS TO say, a city or town where but
one express company IS represented.
"The nature Of the change can be best
appreciated by an illustration: A ship
nent between Plalnfeld. " j, and Boston
IS handled by the United States Express
Company between Plainfeld and New
York, and by either the Adams, American
or National between New York and Bos-
Ton.
The present rate on a package. say, of
ten pounds Is made up as follows: Local
rate between Planfeld and New York IS
6l cents a hundred pounds. and under the
graduated scale in use by the express com
panies the charge on a lO-pound package
between PIainheld and New York is 90
cents.
The rate between New York and Boston
IS 81 a hundred pounds. and the charge
uuon r0-pound package under the grad
uated scale would be A. cents. The sum
Of the two charges is 70 cents, which is
the present charge upon an express pack
age between Plainfeld and Boston.
Under the new rule, however, tie charge
on l0-pound package between Plainfeld
and Boston will be made up as follows:
The 1C0-pound rate between Plaintield and
New York Of 80 cents Is added to the lOJ-
pound rate between New York and Boston
of 81. making the total l0O-pound rate of
s. a. The charge upon a lU-pound package,
according to the graduated table where
rre rate IS 81 80 a hundred pounds is 81
.rnts. ana this IS the charge which viii
.revau for tho service as soon as the new
plans are perfected. This will constitute
% saving 10 the shipper in this particular
.3se of ~ cents