The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-02-16

val mako pOSS4DIe u maIhcu imUtos"~
ment In the express service through
night By oflcials Of the American
Railway Express Com pany. A Bet
tor Service Campaign" viii be UNDER
taken By the $4,000 men and wo-
men employed In tho express bust
1Stskg e ~ tt1t s--1s-ess .s2..->E..-..fr s
ssapdsysss OF packing, wrapping ana
marking express shipments
The drive will start on February ~
N every city ana town in the country.
cation and appeal among express en-
pioyees, simultaneously with a wide
spread effort to secure the co-opera-
uon of the shipping public along tho
61me lines. No new packing or
marking rules have been adopted for
inc campaign. but express drivers ana
receiving clerks will be instructed
hereafter to insist, firmly but court
eousiy, that the rules already in force
De strictly adhered to.
The chief purpose Of the Better
Service Campaign" is to check. once
and for all, the waste Of time. enort
and money that result from lost or
damaged shipments. 1t In source or
dissatisfaction and annoyance to both
Shippers and the carrier and TENDS
TO impair the express service. II -
expected that all who ship by express
and 100000, 900 shipments are annu-
ally travelling that way, will be keeniy
Interested in the forthcoming drive,
because it so intimately concerns the
transportation end or many different
trades and industries. some OF which
depend almost exclusively upon the
express service.
Regarding the conditions which led
20 decision for a national drive OF
snis character an express oihciai
made this statement: TT ia AN ac-
kncwiedged fact that the average
American business man regards a sat
sstied customer as n direct asset to
his business. He would 10 nothing
that might ieopardizc his good rela-
tons with that customer. But X the
gonas he sent the customer arrive In
ss@ order. IL the contents are dam
aged or plfered because they were ex-
posed during the journey, or If. may
be, entire shipments are lost because
OF inadequate marking or insecure
packing the customer may not wait
long for explanations. but place his
business elsewhere
Discourngcs Business.
In such Il case. the payment OF the
claim fr the express company does
not remedy the evil or serve 10 en-
courage more business. II Is n costly
and unnecessary waste and both the
shipper and the consgrae are disap-
Pointed and dIsgTuntied. while the
express company Itself is faced with
the necessity OF practically buying In
the goods, general dissatisfaction
viii the service In tnevitahle--ard TO
une IN the gamer.
we believe that there liz a remedy
far THIS evil fn the fact that the lossa
of or damage TO shipments can in
maay cases DC attributed to the un-
safe condition In which II is turned
over to the express com pany 10
handle Experience has shown thar
q shipment started right seldom goes
wrong. Starting right means simply
that 1t has been securely wrapped ard
packed so that il can stand up Tor
itself, and il plainly and properly
marked, not only with the name and
address of the consignee, but with
those also OF the shipper. The use
Of 4 poor quality OF paper or twina
or ir3ttentlon TO the condition Of ship
mants turned over to the express ser
ytse is something which we are trying
10 discourage. Bnt nothing Is more
essential than the cooperation OF
shippers. and as they are Aeenly con-
cerned in the matter we are hope
fui of getting hem 70 help us"
The better pAcking-~better market
ing" campaign VIII be conducted at
period Of the year when the express
movement Is usually the lightest and
Just before the heavy commodity bust
ness starts 10 move In March. Not
all az the fault Ia laid At the door OF
the shipper The express company Of
fc.als are free 10 admit their own
shortcomings and DO not evade re-
eponsibility for them. During the
rans,aign there will be an energetic
49, ias~
rn,srouting or other deviations from
correct express methods In offices and
terminals. and closer supervision OF
the work Of employees Is expected to
improve internal operating conditions.
Cooperation OF Employees
On February II. the day after the
etfiaial opening of the drive, every
agent at all important points. win call
different classes OF his employees to-
xether at convenient periods and adj
dress them. urging their active parti-
ssipattan In the campaign, first by I'm
proving conditions inside of the ranks
and then by occurring the cooperation
Of THE shipping public with whom
they come in contact Similar meet
ing. viii be called on every Tuesday
during the drive.
nraour- m mute speeches WIN Be de-
ltveref by the local express heads or
specially selected subordinates, and
better service campaign committees
win be appointed In the local express
organization in every city, composed
Of men from each OF the several ope-
rating branches. IN this way, the OBJ
iects sought will be outlined to tho
vehicle men, the platform men. tho Of
ace and claim bureau employees. the
messengers in the cars and the agents
It smaller points,
A determined effort will be made
during the campaign to eradicate what
Il known AZ mo mark" evil. From
yuly i to November 30, Of last year.
ia7Ass shipments. an average OF about
Al 500 a month. were turned over to
sha mo mark" bureaus maintained by
the company. because all means Of
Identification OF either shippers or
sonssenees had been lost, and their
delivery, except In few cases, made
simpossible. Personal baggage. hard
varo and automobile tires comprise
the largest proportion OF the mo
mark" shipments. which are regarded
ana largely 70 the failure Of shippers
"a mark clearly and to pack their
4 Rods Substantially. With tho help
N the shippers and through the In
souence Of the campa ign. the axpress
company hopes TO solve this problem.
MANY mo mark shipments lose their
individual character because the sim
"a txg which shipper depends upon.
narkarA IN dA4ft0Aft0A