Bisbee daily review., 1912-07-16

through rates TO apply between those
points The same provision gives the
shipper the right TO name the route
by which his property shall be car
ried. II is believed by Commissioners
Lane that these provisions will offer
an Improvement in the service and
great economy 10 the carriers, which
now haul shipments often times by
circuitous routes to avoid turning
them over TO a connecting line.
The most radical departure from eX.
listing methods lies in that adopted
of 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 500 100000
different rates. These schedules now
occupy several hundred volumes or
from TO 800 pages each in the
tariff department of the commission,
The rates themselves are intricate
and involved. and it requires expert
authority to determine the lawful rate
between any two points.
The problem of reducing this enor-
nous volume Of rate schedules To
genuinely practicable compass is one
to which Commissioner Lane devoted
most serious attention. He has evolved
a method whereby the rates from any
point in the United States to all other
points may be printed on a single
sheet or card about one fourth Of the
size OF a single newspaper page.
The first step in the consumation
the expense o fthe light weight pack
hH 4 ,nf q
United States into blocks, each ap-
proximajely so miles square. Rates
are proposed between each of these
blocks, treating all cities and towns
within each block as common points.
Each Of these blocks is one degree
Of longitude in length and one de
gree Of latitude in width. To every
express station within each of these
blocks the rate is the same from any
other given block Thus the rate is
stated as between blocks rather than
as between cities. experimenting this
block system of making rates which
constitutes each block a zcne of ori-
gin or of destination the rates are
stated for each package weighing from
] to 100 pounds The express com
panies will be required TO publish
directory OF express stations which
win show the block number within
which each station is located, and az
each station there viii be filed single
sheet tariff which viii give the rate
from that station TO all other blocks
in the United States.
To Illustrate: New York City is
located in block 952. Some 20 other
towns and villages are included in
that same block Chicago is located in
block S3S. which also contains a score
or more of cities and towns. A shipper
in New York wishing to send a pack
age to Chicago viii learn
the directory the block in which
Chicago is situated Then. turn
ing to the single tariff sheet he
win ascertain the number Of the scale
Of rates, which applies upon all pack
ages between block 952 and block
s3s
TIE rate, per hundred pounds. from
Boston. New York. Philadelphia. Bal
timore. Washington and Richmond TO
/ Seattle. Tacoma, Portland. san Fran
cisco. San Diego. Reno. Sacramento
and many other points embraced in
Z the region west Of the Sierra and Cas-
cada mountains is now the same.
$3.50. Uuder the commissions sys-
TEN the rates win vary with the dis
lance between any two poiuts, from
$685. 70 s1l.00 a hundred.
While there has been an almost uni
form reduction in charges upon par
GELS weighing 80 pounds or less. the
rates on packages weighing more
than 30 rounds have not been mater;.
ally reduced. In some instances the
commissions proposed rate basis
shows a slight Increase OF the charges
on heavy packages.
Py the terms of the commission 8
order the changes IN the regulations
methods and practices Of the express
companies: the Reconsideration Of ex.
press matter. the changes IN the bill
ing Of packages; and other admins.
trativs reforms are required TO B