The sun., 1918-07-23
IMPROVED EXPRESS
SERVICE PROMISED
Vast Retirement by Sept. 1 on
Government Pooled Lines
Is Predicted.
MORE PAY FOR WORKERS
Merging Of Men and Resources
Will End Costly Delays
and Losses.

For the beneht OF the big and the
little. the Individual and the corporate
shippers. who within the next half dozen
weeks must use the express service or
the country. the promise was given
yesterday that by the first OF Septem-
Der the service will oe running smoothly
and the cry OF lost and delayed property
will be still.
The promise emanated from the traffic
department of the American Express
Company, which in this region OF the
Government controlled railroad and ex-
press service is the main stem OF all the
big and little express concerns. which
were amalgamated as one institution
twenty days ago and placed under the
control Of William c. McAdoo MS Direc-
tor-General OF Railroads. Already con-
siderable Roadway has been made In the
task of welding into a single efficient
system all the loose and overlapping ends
OF the express business as It was in the
prewar days and within a few more
weeks the system will be fully organized.
Companies Undermined.
When the Government stepped in and
practically federalized the express COM
panies matters we're at sorry pass.
The war had taken thousands Of express
employees, and with the heavy strain
placed by war freights on the railroads
the business Of receiving, sending and
delivering ordinary express matter be-
gan to sag and bend.
Trunks. boxes. barrels and paper
packages began to disappear. Or when
they did not disappear entirely they tar
ried long in transit, sometimes weeks.
sometimes months. Thousands Of dol
lars worth of merchandise spoiled on
sidings or became worthless through
being kept at terminals where express
matter piled up mountainously upon
undermined and incapably manned
STATS.
The compan MES needed men and
couldn't get them. Even II the military
service had not drawn man from their
equipment they still would have been
swamped with n mass OF business which
piled upon them. And meantime they
were in competition. company with COM
pany. and the emergencies OF this COM
petition had created all manner Of Of
fees. officers, stations, bureaus and
transportation ARRANGEMENTS which
helped to hold business, but showed on
the books at a loss.
What has happened since the COM
panles all went under a single control
Is visible instantly In any Of the old
express executive Offices in the num-
Der OF unoccupied official desks The
officers all had. in the competitive days.
duties which. while they were valuable
to the individual company. never by
any chance speeded h suit case or a
basket of peaches on its way Now un-
der Mr.. McAdoo the executives who
used to sit at them are all as busy as
bees. but their work takes them into
the rough and tumble of express, traf-
fc management and the dust gathers on
the polished mahogany.
Resources Now All Pooled.
The unified express corporations are
doing Just what the railroads did when
the Government first took them over
They have pooled their physical re-
sources and eliminated two men at any
point when one man will do The rule
runs all the way from the front office TO
the pick up" men. who gather the pack
ages from stores and on doorsteps.
And to make efficiency truly efficient
II has been announced that all hands
ana tne president may look Tor more
pay. This innovation has its inspira
ton in Washington and is founded on
the principle that every one concerned
will be compelled to do more than an
average days work and should be paid
for II.
Patience IL prayed for on the part
OF those who have TO travel and coop
Grafton also II is requested that II you
can carry a parcel or suit case IN
stead OF expressing it that you carry It.
If your wife Is going to the country
ask her to manage with half her pre-
war wardrobe. II you have valet send
him to the shlpyard and spare the ex-
pressman his excess baggage.
The weeks until September must
pass before the whole service is rum
ming as It should be running. but the
executives who have the job in hand
can see no clamor and confusion after
that.