Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-06-21
IMPORTANT TO NEARLY EV-
cry PERSON IN NORTH
DAKOTA.
Make new Classification
Rate on Laundry Has Been
Lowered and Express Ship
ments in Second Glass.

rates but under the new rates laundry
was raised to first class, and as a re-
suit the North Dakota Launderers' as
ISOLATION ceased to pay the express
charges and passed the express on TO
the consumer. But at the same time
the launderers protested to he COM
mission against the change In classl-
fication, and a hearing on the matter
was had at Grand Forks late asst
month, with the result that the COM
mission has now made laundry, go
ing and coming" second class again.
The decision in this case will inter
est all those who ship their laundry
away from home, as we'll as the many
l%aunderers of the state who do a vast
quantity of work for patrons in other
towns. 1t follows: o..
The Order.
ION January %, 1914, this commits
sion entered a general order making
effective the Interstate Commerce
| Commission schedule of express rates
in this state for intrastate traffic with
certain notifications which it was
hoped would adapt the national
scheme to the conditions in this state.
The effect, however, of this scheme
was to very materially increase the
rates per hundred pounds upon laun-
dry articles, which had been highly
favored in the past AMI bee handled
voluntarily by the express companies
at very low rates.
Objections Made.
"ObjectiOn was at ice made by the
%launderers of the state to the new
rates, but the commission was INK.
ious to give the scheme a fair trial
and did not Immediately take action
in the matter. In the meanwhile the
launderers by p~reconcerted action,
changed the method whereby they
had previously shipped laundry pack
ages out and soiled articles in at their
own expense, and added the expense
of the transportation to the amount
which the consumer was required to
pay For example, if a basket con-
tanning 40 bundles cost $500 to ship
between two stations, the owner of
each bundle was required to pay his
percentage of the total cost based up
on the ratio between the price of his
laundry and the total price of the
basket. This fell as a special hard
ship on the owner Of the articles be-
cause it had not been customary to
require him to pay any of the trans
portation charge, and a vigorous pro-
test came up from all over the state
The launderers took the position that
there is no reason why the consumer
should not pay the transportation
charge on laundry articles the same
as on other articles, and it is per.
haps true that the custom has been
for the consumer to pay the freight
on all commodities which are trans
ported to him by common carriers.
THE launderers, while seeking to
have the laundry articles returned to
second class, and thus have the trans.
portation charges materially reduced.
concede that the new rule establish.
ed by them will be continued and that
the consumer will continue to pay
the freight ven though he may be
benefited by the reduction asked for.
]. c. C. Classification ta.,.
THE new classification established
by the Interstate Commerce Commits.
sion provides that all articles of food
and drink shall be shipped second
class, and all other commodities first
Glass; and that second class articles
shall be shipped at twenty-five per-
cent less than first class articles.
The reason upon which this is based
Is that food products are necessary
articles for human consumption and
that they should be favored. While
this may appear to be a good reason,
yet it is not wholly scientific, because
beer and other articles of drink Tex
cepting whiskey) are carried at sec.
class rates, while laundry articles
and other necessities which are Meth.
er food nor drink are carried at first
class, and we have the anomalous sit
uation Of beer being shipped from
point to point at a twenty-five percent
lower rate than laundry articles. The
commission does not feel that if is
bound by the reasoning of this classi-
flcation above referred to, and takes
the position that laundry articles are
at least of as great Importance for
supplying the needs Of humanity as
oeer' and shall classify laundry arti-
cles, both coming and going, as sec.
class, and such packages shall
axe the same rates as other second
class articles.
Rates Increased.
While it is true that as q recon-.
pense to the express companies for
the radical reduction of express rates
upon small packages, the rates have
oeen materially increased upon heavy
PACKAGES of a hundred pounds and
over, and that they have been hermit.
tea TO profit by the increased rat
upon laundry baskets, yet in view of
thelr voluntary action in the past of
lavorlng the laundry traffic, the com
uisslon does not feel that a hardship
is being imposed upon them. as with
tne installation of a second class rate
upon laundry baskets the ~transporta-
uon charges will be at least as high
as tney have been in the past.
wherefore it is ordered. that lam
dry in baskets or containers. both IN
ana out: shall take a second class
rate fhic 0rI,-