The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-07-15

EXPRESS RATES
MUST UNDERGO
BIG REDUCTION
(Continucd From First Pnfp.)

Ulu Ill UUU agUW
CONTINUED From First Pof's)
pay for 10 pounds included in a 100
pound shipment.
New Avenues of rrnde.
Commissioners Lane expresses the be-
lief that the system proposed VIII
make practicable the opening OF direct
avenues of trade between the farm
ana the city household. He. likewise.
Is OF opinion that while the reduction
OF the rates on the lighter weight
parcels Will average between 20 and
80 per cent. tho express companies
themselves Will be the benenciaries of
a large increased business In the hand
ling Of small parcels.
The report shows that more than
S0o,OQ0.000 parcels are handled annu-
ally by tho express companies IN the
United states. The average household
Of i've persons In this country. either
send or receive by express In tho
course OF year from to 10 pack
ages The average weight Of these
packages IS 81 pounds: the average ex-
press charge IS % cents: and the aver
age haul is 200 miles. 1t appears that
"A very small proportion Of the express
iraiiic Of the country results from d.
rect shipments from the farm to the
city home.
Commissioned Lane carried his in
vcstlsatirii into he express business
of several European countries. In
those countries where the parcels post
system has developed traffic in small
packages. the lighter weight packages
We're found to predominatc. 1t was
Indicated that in foreign countries tho
householder received few parcels
Weighing more than ten pounds per
shipment. The commission believes
that IN the United States the eXpfess
traffic In food commodities IS chiefly
between tho producer and the commits
sion merchant and that the rates ap-
pear TO have been constructed with a.
view 10 fostering and encouraging the
growth OF that traffic at the expense of
tho light packa &c traffic.
The investigators have devoted a
year TO the constructive work OF re-
forming the bases OF express rates of
dcvising simpler and more easily nm
derstood means OF stating those rates.
and Of preparing new rules for the
government Of carriers Of express traf-
tic
Through Routes ana Rntcs.
OF foremost Importance is the re-
nuirement that all of the express com
p2ni.s shall join tn tho establishment
OF through roNTcs by tho quickest lines
OF communication between All express
Offices and shall publish through rates
to apply between those points The
same provision gives the shipper the
right TO name the route b. which his
property shall be carried. 1t IS bcllev-
el by Commissioner Lane that these
PROVISIONS Will effect an Improvement
IN the service and great economy -,
the carriers. which now haul snip
ments oftentmcs by circuitous routes
. avoid turning them over to con-
Meeting line.
4f.sa.f
listing methods Mes In that adopted ell
applying the new rates. IN the United
states there are $4,000 express stations.
To name rates from each of these to
every other one requires the statement
Of more than 90, 600. 900 different rates
These schedules now occupy several
hundred volumes OF from zoo to 500
pages each In the terin department OF
The comml ssion The rates themselves
arc intricate and involved. and II re-
CURES expert authority 10 determine
the lawful rate between any two points
rho problem Of reducing this enorm-
Gus volume Of rate sche1cles TO a genu-
inely practicable compass IS one to
which Commissioner Lane devoted most
serious attention. lie has evolved 4
method whereby the rates from all,
point in the United States TO all other
points may be printed on single sheet
or card about ona-fouiln OF the size
Of single newspaper paSe.
Rntcs between Blocks.
The FIRST step In the oonsumation of
the plan was tho division Of the United
states into blocks. each Approximately
80 miles square. Rates ere proposed be
tween each OF these blocks. treating all
cities and towns within each block as
common points Each OF these blocks
is one degree Of ionyitud In length
and one degree OF latitude in width
II every express station within each
OF these blocks the rate IS the same
from any other given block Thus the
rete is stated as between blocks rath-
er than as between cities. Supplement-
ing this block system OF making rates
which constitutes each block a zone of
origin or OF destination tho rates are
stated for each package Weighing from
| to 100 pounds. The express compan
les will be required 10 publish a dlrec-
tory of express stations which Will
show tho block number within which
each station Is located. and at each sta
ton there will be filed q single Sheet
tariff which Will give the ratio from
that station to all other blocks in thel
United states.
To illustrates New York City IS To-
Gated In block 952. Some twenty other
towns and villages are 9ncluded In
that same block Chicago is located
in block SaS. which also contains
score or more of cities and towns y
shipper in New York wishing to send
a package to Chiacgo Will learn from
the directory the block in which Chi /
oago Is situated. Then turning to the
single tariff sheet. he viii ascertain the /
number of the scale of rates. which
applies upon all packages between
block a52 and block s3S
Present Method Confusing.
This method OF stating rates. the
report claims. VIII avoid the great
body of complaints arising out Of un-
dercharges and overcharges. tho pres
ent method of stating rates being so