El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-07-24

between this city and Chicago by way
Of the Rock Island Southwestern.
Free Delivery Limits.
Another source of much dissatisfac-
ton to not only the public but the
express carriers as well has been the
questions arising regarding free de-
livery limits, and this has been par
ucularly true Of the young cities OF
the west, which, in many instances,
spread much faster than the express
officials realized or felt justified in in
creaSlng the force IN order to keep
pace with the growth of the pros
porous towns. In order to overcome
misunderstanding relative to this
part of the service, the express com
panies are required to publish a Joint
general directory, alphabe tically ar
ranged, of all offices in the United
States, and after each name the infOr-
nation as to whether the place is
served by free delivery, and where
such service is maintained, it is TO be
understood that it covers the corpor-
ate limits of the town or city unless
the publication shall circumscribe the
free delivery limits.
The practices OF some Of the express
companies in the settlement of claims
for loss and damage has been severely
condemned and a rule of action for the
future prescribed
Excessive Charges On Packages.
1t has been claimed by many that
the charges which the carriers have
assessed on values declared in excess
of $50 are excessive. The insurance
charges almost universally prevailing
on shipments conveyed by parcel post
or other parcel carrying systems in
other countries are substantially one
tenth Of one percent-that is to say,
ten cents for each 500, or fra ction
thereof, this also being 2 customary
rate with private insurers. The com
mission rules that the express carriers
in the United States should base their
charges on packages with a valuation
in excess of $50 at not to exceed this
general standard, and that hereafter
the valuation charge shall be ten cents
for each 500 or fraction thereof in
excess of $50 and this irrespective Of
the rate carriage.
CIassifieatiOns Criticised.
The commission criticises very Sc
Terely the official express classified
ton in which Il express carriers in
the United States and Canada concur.
The ruling is that there must be
new classification of traffic in which
the standard of first class rate shall
be that on merchandise, and to which
there shall be one great class of ex-
ceptions-a second class as it were
consisting of articles of food and drink
now carried under the meaningless
term of general specials" The rate
for this latter class is to bear a re-
latiOn in percentage to the former. The
conclusion reached is that rs percent
of the merchandise rate will yield
fair and reasonable rate. The COM
mission further rules that many fea-
lures Of the present classification real
" amount to concealed rates, and that
these must be eliminated, also that the
express companies have no right to
make a distinction between prepaid
and collect shipments in so far as
this causes a difference in the rates.
Graduated Charge Scale.
Mention can not be made in this
article of all the rules which are to
be changed or abolished, although one
which has been so fruitful of COM
plants and which should receive some
is that of the scale of gradu-
ated charges.
The commission says: This scale
is unreasonable, discriminatory, and
arbitrary. It is the product of years
of shrewd manipulation, and has no
Justification in the minds Of the eX-