Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-02-07
BETTER EXPRESS
SERVICE DRIVE
WILLOPEN HERE

Plans of a most comprehensive ma
ture to bring about conditions which
will make possible a marked i'm
provement in the express service
throughout the country, were an
nounced today by F. NJ H. Mcdonald,
local representative of the American
Railway Express Company. A better
service campaign" will be undertaken
by the 1885, 900 men and women en-
ployed in the express business, for
the purpose of raising the standards
of packing, wrapping and marking
express shipments.
The drive will start on February
10, in every city and town in the
country. 1t will comprise a cam
paign of education and appeal among
the express employees simultaneously
with a widespread effort to secure
the cooperation of the shipping pub
lie along the same lines. No new
packing or marking rules have been
adopted for the campaign, but ex-
press receiving clerks will be instruct
ed hereafter to insist, firmly but
courteously, that the rules already in
force are strictly adhered to.
The chief purpose of the better
service campaign" is to check, once
and for all, the waste of time, effort
and money that result from lost or
damaged shipments. 1t is a source
of dissatisfaction and annoyance to
both shippers and the carrier and
tends to impair the express service.
1t is expected that all who ship by
~express-and 3O0000,00O shipments
are annually travelling that way-will
he keenly interested in the forth
coming drive, because it so intimate
ly concerns the transportation end of
many different trades and industries,
some of which depend almost exclus-
lively upon the express service.
Regarding the conditions which led
to the decision for a national drive Of
this character, an express official
made this statement today:
ut is an acknowledged fact that the
average American business man re
CARDS q satisfied customer as a direct
asset to his business. He would do
Eorhing that might jeopardiZe his
good relations with that customer.
But if the goods he sent the customer
arrive in bad order if the contents are
damaged or pilfered because they are
exposed during the journey, or if,
may be, entire shipments are lost be-
cause of inadequate marking or in
secure packing the customer may not
wait long for explanations, but place
his business elsewhere.
I'm such case the payment of the
claim by the express company does
not remedy the evil or serve to en-
courage more business It is a mostly
and unnecessary waste and both the
shipper and the consignee are disap-
pointed and disgruntled. While the
express company itself is faced with
the necessity of practically buying in
the goods. A general dissatisfaction
with the service is inevitable-and no
one is the gamer
I'VE believe that there is a remedy
for this evil in the fact that the loss
of or damage to shipments can in
many cases be attributed to the I'M
safe condition in which it is turned
over to the express company to han
die. Experience has shown that a
shipment started right seldom goes
wrong. Starting right means simply
that it has been securely wrapped
and packed, that it can stand up for
itself and is plainly and properly
marked, not only with the name and
address of the consignee, but with
those of the shipper. The use of poor
quality of paper or Irvine or inatten-
ton to the condition of shipments
turned over to the express service is
something which We are trying to
discourage. But nothing is more es-
sential than the cooperation of the
shippers, and as they are keenly con-