The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-23
CONCESSIONS"
The Public and the Express Com
panies,

To THE EDITOR or THE SuN-Sir: I
see by this mornings SUN hat the ex-
press companies have received more
concessions from the Interstate Conn
merce Board. This. | believe. Is as II
should be. and I see no reason to quarrel
with the relaxation of a system Of Gov
eminent interference with business such
az seems to me and to othersJ 10 be
mischievously meddlesome.
But. sir. I am impelled to ask in no
captious spirit but as a matter OF fair
ness that the express companies make
some concessions TO the public, which
would he greatly appreciated by their
patrons.
I do rot speak hastily. for I have
myself patronized the "Npress "ompa-
nies rather frequently for fully nifty
years. not because ! wanted 10 but be-
cause I had to, and only last week |
suffered from unfair treatment OF the
same kind that | have been always ac-
customed to. In fact. J have grown so
well accustomed % is .Hnt ! long ago
cea sed complaining directly 10 the COM
panies or to any OF them. having found
that protests are ~unavailing.
refer 10 the false representations
that are commonly made TO patrons by
certain employees. not all. in regard to
the service 20 be rendered.
I called on one company. one OF the
best known among them. to take a
trunk from my house TO a certain coun-
try hotel. specifying that IL was 20 be
delivered at the hotel. as I did not wish
my wife to be bothered with the neces-
sity OF looking after Il in transit. !
was assured that this would he done n
7 delivered the trunk. paying the price
demanded for the service.
The trunk was taken and delivered at
the railroad station. four miles from the
hotel on arriving there Mrs. c. was
forced 10 get another carrier and pay
him addltionally for delivering the trunk
where she wanted u.
/ complained OF this. but the only
satisfaction I got was to be Informed
by the man who took my order origi-
nally M ! should have applied to a
certain other company. one OF the old
est. as the latter had a delivery service
at tina, particular station. whereas the
company I employed had not.
II sounded plausible. no doubt. 10 the
man who said II TO me. though natu-
rally II was unsatisfactory TO me. Espe-
ciallv was 4, unsatisfactory because my
niece. who started at the same time as
my wife did. FOR the same hotel. had
applied to the other company for the
same service. had received the same
promise that 7 received and had been
treated in precisely the same way.
Now this may seem trifing. The
amount involved was small and the in
convenience was not serious, but my
roint is that the transaction was dis
tinctly dishonest. Moreover. II was dis
honest IN precisely the same way that
I have found express service to he dis
honest for htty years, as | said.
| do not believe that IL Is the deliber-
ate policy Of the high officials of these
companies 10 deceive and rob their pa
irons. but | do charge that some OF
their employees do 1t h~abitually. and l
believe that II there were greater care
exercised In the supervision OF employ
ees there would be a more friendly feel
ing for the companies on the part OF
the public.
Surely this IL not too much TO ask
In return for the privileges and patron
enjoved. n. A. c.
NV ynrE. August 20.