1910. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
411 
A TALK ABOUT EXPRESS RATES. 
Special Tariffs on Prepaid Packages. 
I have been interested as well as amused in read¬ 
ing the experience of M. O. E., of Virginia, page 18G, 
with the Adams Express Co. As I understand the 
case, a package of candy weighing 120 ounces was 
shipped to M. O. E., on which the express charges 
were $3, when they should have been $2.20, as evi¬ 
denced by the express company making a rebate of 
80 cents when called upon to do so. Even at $2.20 
the complainant was charged more than he need to 
have paid. Does he not know that the express com¬ 
panies are compelled by their published rates to ac¬ 
cept express matter at postage rates, one cent per ounce, 
if the shipper demands this rate, the minimum charge 
to be 15 cents? Nevertheless, this is a fact which 
the public should bear in mind when making shipments 
by express. All the mail order houses that prepay 
charges take advantage of this rate, never sending 
a package weighing over 15 ounces by mail, as by 
express they get a receipt, and the express company 
is liable to the extent of $10 in case of loss. But the 
express companies do not go out of their way to 
advise the small shipper of this cut rate. Blence my 
amusement at the rebate of 80 cents to pacify M. O. E. 
New York. f. h. b. 
This is true. In order to compete with the Postal 
Department of the Government the express com¬ 
panies must of necessity make the same rate. This 
they do on second class matter by making a rate to 
nearly all points in the United States at a cent an 
ounce when prepaid. The packages must be wrapped 
so that they can be examined if necessary. In fact, 
the postal regulations as near as may be, govern. 
The minimum charge is 15 cents, as a smaller package 
would bring no profit to the express com¬ 
pany, as indeed it does not to the Govern¬ 
ment. As a rule only large or frequent ship¬ 
pers get these rates, as the general public 
is not aware of them. The merchandise rates 
are usually much higher, especially for small 
packages, or for long distances. 
If the package weighs only one pound the 
charge will be much less when going more 
than 100 miles as a rule, if sent at pound 
rates as they are called. Take a five-pound 
package for a short distance, the merchan¬ 
dise rate would be much cheaper. The mer¬ 
chandise rates are regulated by length of- 
haul largely, while the pound rates are 
made to compete with the Government, and 
must be prepaid. Compare the merchandise 
and pound rates from New York to Chi¬ 
cago. Merchandise rate, $2.50 per 100 
pounds; one pound, 25 cents; two pounds, 
35 cents; three pounds, 45 cents; four 
pounds, 55 cents; five pounds, 60 cents; 10 
pounds, 75 cents. Pound rate, one cent per 
ounce; one pound, 16 cents; two pounds, 32 
cents; three pounds, 48 cents; four pounds, 
64 cents; five pounds, 80 cents; 10 pounds, 
$1.60. What a shipper should do is to ask 
the express agent for the rates on the pack¬ 
age by the merchandise rate and by the pound rate, 
and if he has the money and intends to prepay the 
express he can demand the cheaper rate. He cannot 
have this option unless the package is prepaid. 
The express companies handle goods classified the 
same as by the Government for second, third and 
fourth classes, and transport them at the mail rates. 
Newspapers and magazines go at pound rates for all 
distances with the exception of very long hauls; as a 
matter of fact, the express companies do a large busi¬ 
ness in second and third class matter in competition 
with the Government, taking the short haul and al¬ 
lowing the Government to take the long haul traffic. 
Take for example the catalogues of the mail order 
houses. The express companies select the ones in the 
territory near the department store, and what the 
express company docs not deem profitable, Uncle 
Sam transports. It is the same with newspapers and 
magazines. The Government gets the long haul and 
the express companies take the profitable traffic. The 
wonder is that the annual deficit is as small as it is. 
When the Postal Department was first organized the 
Government was given a monopoly of the carriage 
of letters and packets. 1 lie whole difficulty centers 
around the word “packets.” Tt is very evident that 
Congress meant the word packets to cover mailable 
packages of four pounds and under, but the postal 
officials have construed packets to mean packages of 
letters. Were the government to handle all matter 
transported over post routes when those packages 
did not exceed four pounds there would be no deficit. 
But the influence of the express companies has seen 
that their interests have been cared for and those of 
the public neglected. 
Returning to the case of M. O. E. Why does the 
public in general not get the lower pound rates? The 
express agent works on a commission receiving 16 
per cent on inbound and 10 per cent on outbound 
business, so it is to his interest to collect all the shipper 
and town. There should be a strong pressure brought 
to bear on this present Congress for parcels post. And 
there must be a demand for men in Congress that 
will represent the people instead of the express com¬ 
panies. 
NICHOLAS IIALLOCK. Fig. 158. 
can be induced to pay. The express company pays 
the railroad 40 per cent of the revenue for carrying 
the traffic, so the railroads are not interested in keep¬ 
HEART OF A BARREL OF “N. Y. BALDWINS.” Fig. 159. 
ing the rates down. The express company wants to 
pay dividends, so it must prefer that its agents collect 
all the traffic will bear from those that use the ex¬ 
press company infrequently. There are three good 
reasons for high rates to the general public. The 
shipper is up against a combination. A parcels post is 
much needed in this country. The pound rates for 
merchandise are so high that the farmer cannot use 
TWO LITTLE LADIES AND A LAMB. Fig. ICO. 
them for shipping farm produce. What we need is 
a rate that compares with the low rates of foreign 
countries. A long step in that direction would be 
made by adopting a limited rural parcels post as 
recommended by the Fourth Assistant Postmaster- 
General. That rate would approximate the rate on 
magazines, and would be a great benefit to the country 
A VETERAN FARMER AND FRUIT GROWER. 
Reminiscences of an Old Friend. 
It gives us groat pleasure to show at Fig. 158 the 
latest picture of our old friend Nicholas Ilallock, or as 
he is familiarly called by many, “Uncle Nick.” Mr. 
Ilallock sends us the following sketch which will serve as 
an autobiography. 
Born in 1827, on a hilly stony farm on the west 
bank of the Hudson, like all farmers’ sons of that 
day I was early taught to add my little might to the 
working force of the farm, at such jobs as feeding 
the chickens, weeding garden, milking the cows and 
caring for them. The recollections of each of these 
are yet very strongly impressed on my mind. Later 
came hoeing corn, plowing, and picking stones in 
heaps in the mowing grounds. These did not inter¬ 
fere with the mowing machine of that day, for it was 
all done with the scythe, now almost a lost art. So 
with the grain cradle; men were engaged for this 
week for months ahead. Their wages were always 
considered as the value of one bushel of wheat at 
the time, the hours sunrise to sunset; no such eight 
and 10-hour jobs then, and there were no strikes 
known. If a man did not like his job lie quit, another 
took his place, and there was no kicking or controversy 
of any kind about it. 
Farming was grain raising, butter making, sheep 
and pork raising, my father being the first to bring 
in an improved breed of sheep, the imported Cots- 
wold, and many premiums were given him 
at the American Institute from 1842 to 1850, 
for the best sheep and pig exhibits; silver 
cups and silverware now in my possession, 
are among my choicest possessions. My 
father was the first one who raised a 
wether that dressed 200 pounds meat. I was 
early interested in fruit growing, apples and 
peaches particularly, and at 17 was set at 
changing, or top-working an orchard of 
about 80 trees, some of which are yet in 
bearing. This fruit interest has never left 
me. I cannot pass a box or barrel of ap¬ 
ples without noticing its variety and growth. 
After being married in 1852 I moved to 
Long Island, 12 miles from New York City, 
though it is now within the city limits. Here 
I was for 50 years, not a trucker, in its 
full sense. We grew hay, wheat, and po¬ 
tatoes mostly, and many a cold ride I have 
had on top of a load of hay at four or five 
o’clock on a Winter’s morning, driving to 
market, the thought of which brings a chill 
yet. Later, I was interested in seed grow¬ 
ing, for the seedsmen, Bliss, Burpee, etc.; 
grew many seedlings strawberries, several 
of which had a good local reputation and 
were extensively grown at home. 
I was from my first year’s residence on Long Island 
a member of the Queens County Agricultural Society, 
and acted as judge from the first, in different depart¬ 
ments, pigs, sheep, flowers and fruit, the last for 25 
years, much of the time twice a year, so long as a 
June fair was held, also a judge at the Suffolk and 
other fairs to the last fair. I was appointed by Gov¬ 
ernor Morton as member of the Board of Control of 
the New York- Experiment Station for three years, 
and again by Governor Roosevelt, served there 3J4 
years, and had the pleasure of voting for Dr. Jordan 
as director, a thing I have never seen any cause to 
regret. 
After passing three score years, a chance came to 
sell the Long Island farm, and thinking if I ever was 
to have a little leisure, it was time to take it, it was 
sold and I since have been only an independent 
worker, but the old force of habit still keeps me 
busy, though not always at profitable work perhaps. 
Life now is on the old farm where I spent my boy¬ 
hood days. I have charge of the garden and flowers, 
and at four score and three, still enjoy swimming 
in the same pond and coasting the same hills I did 
75 years ago, and life is made pleasant being sur¬ 
rounded by kind and loving friends, and each year 
the Grange makes me think that life is still worth 
living. NICHOLAS HALLOCK. 
New York. 
Good Advice.— Better keep the money in your pocket 
than plant trees and neglect them. The young tree is 
much like a child; it must have good care, culture 
and nourishment, and an occasional dressing. 
If we could peer into the future as we can into 
the past, we would all be millionaires, and those big 
red apples would go begging. It is well we cannot, 
for it is only to the industrious and persevering that 
plenty is provided. f. h. 
