Omaha daily bee., 1919-02-04
BETTER SERVICE
CAMP AIGN BEGUN
BY EXPRESS co.
Nationwide Campaign for
Better Packing Of Express
Shipments is to Be
Started Soon.

Vial AAG 9AQAAa
Plans Of q most comprehensive
nature to bring about conditions
which will make possible marked
improvement in the express service
throughout the country, were an
nouneed by w. S. Warner, local rep
resentative of the American Railway
Express Co. A Better Service
Campaign" will be undertaken by
the $4,000 men and women EN-
ployed in the express business, for
the purpose of raising the stand
ards Of packing, wrapping and
marking express shipments.
The drive will start on February
10, in every city and town in the
country. II will comprise a cam
paign OF education and appeal
among express employees simultane-
ously with a widespread effort to
secure the cooperation of the ship
ping public along the same lines
No new packing or marking rules
have been adopted for the cam
paign, but express drivers and re-
ceiving clerks will be instructed
hereafter TO insist, firmly but court
eously, that the rules already III
force be strictly adhered to.
II is expected that all who ship
BY express, and 300,000,000 ship
ments are annually travelling that
way, viii be keenly interested in
the Forthcoming drive. because it so.
intimately concerns the transporta-
ton end of many different trades
and industries, some of which de-
pend almost exclusively upon the
express service.
During Light" Months.
The Better Packing-Better
Marking" campaign will be conduct
I'd at period of the year when
the express movement is usually the
lightest and just before the heavy
commodity business starts to move
IL March. Not all of the fault is
laid at the door of the shipper. The
express company officials are free
to admit their own shortcomings
and do not evade responsibility for
hem. During the campaign there
will be an energetic endeavor to
prevent rough handling, mis-routing
lr other deviations from correct ex-
press methods in offices and term
mails, and closer supervision of the
work of employees is expected to
improve internal operating condi-
ions.
AN determined effort will be made
during the campaign to eradicate
what is known as the No Mark"
evil. From July to November so
81 last year, l27,859 shipments, an
average OF about 25,5O0 month,
were turned over to the mo Mark
bureaus maintained by the COM
pany, because all means of identi-
fication of either shippers or con-
signees had been lost, and their de-
livery. except in few cases. made
impossible. Personal baggage,
hardware and automobile tires com
prise the largest proportion of the
No Mark" shipments, which are
attributed largely to the failure of
shippers 10 mark clearly and to pack
heir goods substantially. With the
aelp Of the shippers and through
the influence, of the campaign, the
Express company hopes to solve this
Many NO. Mark" shipments lose
their individual character because
The single tag upon which a ship
per depends to carry his package
70 destination, is torn off. The use
Of tags at all is discouraged by the
but where it is abso-
utely necessary, shippers are urged |
never to use less than two. With |
personal baggage sent by express,
[ is wise to enclose the name and
ADDRESS of the shipper, in case fur
her Identification is necessary. i
Another cause of damage to or
oss of shipments in transit is the
use Of a poor quality of wrapping |
paper and Irvine, or an insufficient |
quantity Of good paper. Old or
second hand cartons and other con-
.ainers, which do not stand up or
carry several old marks, are found
10 bc responsible for many ship
nents being damaged. wrongly de-
ivered or going astray. Old marks
on baggage have sent many trunks
and suitcases to the wrong destina-
lions.