The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1921-02-19

Education Among Big Shippers and
Producers-Trylng to Get Them to
Comply With Rules of Packing and
Shipping Which viii Avert Unneces-
sary Losses Both to Themselves and
to the Express Company.
In all big business this is an era of
saving. Economy is the watchword in
all the big corps~ations-economy in
operation, machinery, labor, food and
supplies of all kinds, but especially
food. Now, take eggs
In the office of H. M. James, super
intendent of claims for the American
Railway Express company in New
York, is a portfolio full of most con-
vincing looking photographs of broken
eggs. And there need not be any
smashed eggs, or at any rate not half
so many, according to Mr.. James. So
The express company has started an
educational campaign for making egg
travel safe.
Efforts are being made to reach the
big egg shippers in different parts of
the country, bringing home to them
the needless loss in eggs, and trying
to get them to comply with rules of
packing and shipping which will avert
unnecessary losses both to themselves
and the express company. Another
campaign among handlers, including
all company employees, is also under
way. Agricultural colleges and state
institutions are cooperating, In an eff
fort to bring forcibly before the pub
lie the fact that there Is a tremendous
and constant loss in eggs, much of 1t
needless. The express company Is ad-
vertising broadcast the fact that 1t
will welcome suggestions for the pack
ing and shipping of eggs. 1t wants
new ideas for containers, already pat
ented or otherwise, all of which ideas
will be sifted and tried out.
Seek Perfect Container.
Pending the discovery of the per-
feet egg %container, eggs shipped In
the case now in general use, the
standard 80-dozen affair familiar to
every one would stand a better chance
If shippers would not neglect to in
sert the excelsior-filled pads which
are supposed to be used. These "cush-
ions," as they are called, theoretically
go on the bottom of each egg case, and
on the top, as well as under the top
layer of eggs.
1--WE don't get a very large proper
ton of shippers to use the three cush-
ions, however, although the cost would
be but 6 cents to the case" said Mr..
James. "They stand the loss-and
the public pays more for its eggs"
Better than the egg cushions In
some respects are the brown card
board "honey-comb" filters, five tiers
In each side of the case, which hold
three dozen eggs each, and the criss-
cross sections which leave spaces two
and a quarter inches high. These
would be almost perfect, or at least
better, than anything else, according
to Mr.. James, If the faithful hen could
be induced to lay eggs exactly to meas-
ure, or If shippers would ship eggs of
exactly uniform size. But cases come
through with eggs two and a half
inches In length, or even as long as
two and seven-eighths. These bigger
eggs are the ones that arrive broken.
Then the ~"honey-comb filters are
soon weakened and softened by damp
ness, according to Mr.. James. There
after they bend and the eggs may
move back and forth and strike on the
edge of the case or on the dividing
board In the center. :.
Figures for egg breakage, according
to claims passing through the office of
the American Railway Express COM
pany, are truly enormous. The Produce
News of January Is set the amount at
100000 monthly, practically all for
the Ia Eastern states, and mostly on
shipments from the states of Pennsyl-
vania and New York.
Eggs From Afar.
Eggs are moving freely. Hens have
laid well throughout the winter so far
on account of the open winter and
shipments have been heavy" said Mr..
James the other day in discussing the
new campaign. Eggs come here from
the South, the Southwest and the
West, in addition to the general move
ment from nearer points. The proper
ton of ~breakage bears no relation to
the distance. Perhaps In a journey
from a point 100 miles away, the ship
ment is handled more times than a
shipment coming from a distant point.
The number of times a case is handled
in express service will average higher,
anyway, than in freight service.
"The method now in use, however,
is not the proper one," said Mr.. James.
There should be an improved method
of packing. The losses are tremendous
in this very valuable food product.
The best device, in my opinion, among
those already patented and on the
market Is the filler whnro tho or