The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-25
BEGIN CAMP PA|GN ID
 EDUCATE SHIPPERS
Sending Out Instructions on How to Properly Mark
 Goods

The local freight agents association has begun an educational campaign among the shippers of this district in an effort 10 have them properly mark and pack their shipments of less than car load lots. In this way 1t is thought that many claims may be averted. proving a saving to both railroad and shipper
 The campaign has been waged In At | lanta, Chattanooga and Nashville re- gently with remarkable degree of sue cess, 1t is said It was originated by l the Southeastern Association of General Managers, an organization composed of the general managers of all railroads in the southeast. They sent B. K. Parrott l to Birmingham in conjunction with the local freight agents association and to | investigate conditions here.
 He spent 13 days In the various freight houses in the city. making his investi- gations. He then rendered his report to the association The Merchants and Manufacturers association of Birming- l ham took up the report and J. T. Slater, manager of the freight bureau, has writ i ten letter to all shippers, embracing the report of MT. Parrott in his letter. The figures in the report do not by any means show the number of packages shipped from Birmingham during the 1S days, but merely the observations of one man spent in all the freight houses of the city during that length of time. 1 The letter of MT. Slater follows:
 "To All Shippers:
 1 With a view of determining the source of claims arising from loss, damage and estray l.. C. l.. shipments, and for the purpose of inaugurating a plan to re- duce the number Of claims. thereby mak- ing an improvement alike beneficial to shipper and carrier, the local freight agents association has recently had a special representative of the initial car riers here, making a thorough inspec- tion of all package freight rendered the various roads for forwarding
 "This inspection covered a period of 1S days and shows the following: T. Number of packages illegibly marked 432: ?. Number of packages bearing old marks 6O7; 3. Number of packages tagged instead of stenciled PSI; 1. Number of packages improperly packed 97.
 i Any of these may constitute the ori- l gin of claim; all are preventable by l the exercise of care We, therefore, urge that instructions be given to your shipping departments to cooperate with the local freight agents association in an effort to eliminate these four prolific sources of trouble
 Your attention is also called to the importance of presenting the carrier with legibe bills of lading-preferably type written--but if made otherwise. have them so plain and legible as to remove all doubt of their meaning. The carriers have undertaken this movement in the interest of improved service and greater | efficiency, whatever benefits result there from must necessarily be mutual. We earnestly hope the effort will meet with the hearty cooperation of all shippers. Yours truly.
 MERCHANTS AND MANUFACTLf-
 RERs' ASSOCIATION OF BIRMING-
 HAM, ALA J. T. SLATER. l Manager Freight Bureau" i Copies of the rules of the southern classification covering the marking and | describing of shipments are also being sent to the shippers in order that their shipping clerks may become familiar with the rules under which the railroad com panies' work their freight business in 1 this respect