The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1919-11-14
PREPARING FOR NEW EXPRESS
PACKING REQUIREMENTS

Y. B. Baker in charge Of the city
express office, to prepare for the new
! express packing requirements, which
go into effect on December 10. He
has been advising express shippers to
study the new rules, which have been
approved by the United States Rail-
road Administration, so that they
may be able to adjust their pack
ing methods to the forthcoming new
standards.
Under the new regulations, which
are embodied in what is known
technically as Supplement No. to
Express Classification No. 26, all
shipments sent by express weighing
over rs pounds, must be packed in
wooden containers, or cartons OF
fbre-board, pulpboard, or corrugated
strawboard material, of specified
s'test strengths This means, ac-
cording to Agent Baker, that after
December 10, packages over 25-
pound limit will not be accepted for
forwarding by the American Kali
way Express company, handling the
express business of the entire coun-
trv as agent of the railroad admin
! istration, if only paper wrapped. Nor
will ordinary paper boxes, wrapped
or unwrapped, be accepted as suitable
protection for these heavier ship
ments. The regufation4, however,
do not affect shipment under 25
pounds.
Regular shippers, Agent Baker
stated today, will not be mystified
by the new regulations, as they fol-
low very closely the packing require
ments long in vogue in the freight
service. The express regulations,
however, allow little more latitude
in the size of the carton used. The
enforcement of the new rules was
postponed until December 10, so that
shippers would have plenty of time
to prepare themselves for this change
in express packing standards.
Agent Baker expressed the opinion
that these new rules will not work
any hardship on shippers, but should
operate distinctly in their interest,
as the rules will provide additional
safeguards for merchandise in tran
sit. Moreover, they will establish a
uniformity of express packing rules
which heretofore has been lacking.
The new order does not affect the
movement of food products by ex-
press, which are ordinarily shipped
in crates or barrels.
eve believe" stated Agent Baker,
in explaining the new regulations,
"that the shipping public will well
come the new standards when they
understand them, and the reasons
for putting them into effect.
"Never before in the history Of the
country has the express traffic
reached such proportions as it has
assumed today. At the same time,
there has been comparatively little
increase in the amount of car space
available for this business. We have
been asked to carry heavier shipments
and commodities Of every conceiv-
able kind.
"Before the war, it was possible
for car messengers to spread their
freight out on the floors of the ex-
press cars without much congestion.
Today we are running dozens of
through cars between the big cities
and everyone of those cars is packed
to capacity. There has been a SINH
lar congestion in the local runs.
''This has made it necessary for
express shipments to be stacked. AS
result, individual shipments have
had to be strongly enough packed to
be able to stand up fer themselves,
and owing to the lack of uniformity
in this regard the new regulations
were formulated and finally approved
by the railroad administration. The
stronger containers required, we be-
lieve, will very perceptibly help to
improve the express service and to
protect the miscellaneous articles OF
merchandise travelling through this
channel from damage or interference
en- route"
An extensive educational campaign
is planned to explain to express ship
pers how the requirements will oper-
ate in the various trades which de-
pend upon the express service for
the movement of the bulk Of their
output and also to instruct express
employees regarding acceptance of