The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-02-17
EXPRESS RATES EXPLAINED
Situation Fully Set Forth by Secre-
tary of the Chamber of Com
rnerce of the State

as brought out at the Ocala confer
ence, Secretary J 0. Stephenson OF
the chamber Of commerce, who first
brought out the agitation about the
matter has sent the following letter
to the various commercial organiza-
tons Of the state. says the St. Angus
tine Record
To Boards Of Trade in Florida:
Gentlemen-You viii recall my let
tiers. concerning express rates in Flor
ida, and have doubtless been keeping
up with the activity in the public
press.
The rates have been materially
changed. But it develops that the
change is more advantageous than
otherwise. We were not mistaken in
our original contention, however. for
We find that because the express com
pany was not properly applying the
/ new rate many shippers were having
to pay an increase And the rate is
increased generally to points beyond
! the Southern Express Company's
lines-points north Of the Ohio river
! and west Of the Mississippi.
The order of the interstate com
rates throughout the country on a
mileage basis-a most logical system.
And while there is an increase over
the former through rate to New York
Boston, Cincinnati and Chicago, for
instance, there is a vast territory in
termediate that can be reached with
a lower rate than formerly applied.
The order ef the interstate com
merce commission would increase the
express rates to southern terrific ry-
Southern Express points-but because
the Florida railroad commission had
| for three years been fighting for a
lower rate to these points the com
mission allows the Southern Express
Company to continue in effect their
old commodity rates, which are lower
in their own territory, and the com
pany has promised to maintain the
old rates indefinitely, except where
words, Florida shippers can now ship
at the old rates to all territory
reached by Southern Express lines at
not to exceed the old rates, and in
many instances very much lower
rates. They can also ship to New
ark, n. J., for instance, at lower
rate than to New York. where for
merly the rate was much higher, and
to other intermediate points between
Florida and the big centers in the
same way.
Furthermore, it is now advantage
Gus to ship in quantities, for the sim
gle crates rate does not apply to
quantities of four crates or more. For
example: The rate on thirty pound
crate Of lettuce from ST. Augustine
to New York is 80 cents, as against
so cents prior to February 1st, but un-
der the old rate ten crates cost the
shipper ten times so cents, or SIS for
the lot, whereas under the new sys-
tenn any shipment over 100 pounds
must take the 100 pound rate, and is
computed as follows: Ten crates of
thirty pounds (estimated) makes a
800 pound shipment; the first class
rate is $3.50 per 100 pounds, lettuce
being second class takes a rate of Is
per cent. of the first class rate, max
ing the cost of transporting ten thir
ty pound crates to New York $7S7,
IS cents less than the old rate to New
York, and s1.13 less than if the ten
crates were charged for at the single
crate rate of go cents
Failure of the express companys
agents to comprehend the new sys-
tenn and properly apply the same has
been responsible for the overcharges
that have occasioned the protests
Also the company authorized their
agents to charge the old rate except
where the new rate is less, and at the
same time issued tariff that quoted
higher rates than the old, in many in
stances, and took up the old tariffs SO
that the agent had no way of telling
what the old rate was
Inc officials OF the express COM
pany visited the writer at st. Angus
tine last Saturday and explained the
application of the new tariff And on
the 18th another conference was held
at Ocala, attended by Hon. R. Hud-
son Burr and other representatives of
the Florida railroad commission, rep
resentatives of the Citrus Exchange,
Fruit Growers and Shippers League
OF the state. At this meeting it was
pointed out to the express officials
just how their failure to properly in
struct their agents was working a