THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
434 
transportation 
THE NURSERYMAN AND EXPRESS RATES 
We gave some space a short time since to a statement 
of rates affecting the shipment of nursery stock, kindly fur¬ 
nished by the manager of the American Express Company. 
We are glad to add an additional note on this by Mr. Leman 
Bradford, secretary of the Springfield Floral Company. 
The information is furnished by courtesy of the Florists’ 
Review. This article is so candid and valuable that we 
reproduce it entire. 
COMPLAINT IS FREQUENT 
There is much complaint against transportation companies just 
now and we often hear it asserted that express rates are constantly 
being raised. They may have been raised on cut flowers, in certain 
cases, but on plants they have actually been decreasing. The 
express rates on plants, bulbs and seeds are of two classes. One is 
known as section D, the other as ’’general special.” We should 
make money for ourselves by studying them. 
TO COMPETE WITH MAIL 
Section D matter must be sent prepaid, the rate being the same 
as third-class mail matter, except that the minimum charge is 10 
cents for each company carrying. These rates also apply to Canada, 
whereas the mail rate is double, viz., 1 cent an ounce. These rates 
can be applied to all shipments, no matter what the weight, but 2 
cents is deducted from each package when the weight is fifty ounces 
or more, and no charge for a package weighing less than fifty ounces 
to be more than the charge for fifty ounces. For example, on three 
pounds two ounces, or fifty ounces, the charge is 23 cents. Four 
pounds ten ounces can be sent to any place in either the United 
States or Canada where any of the express companies belonging to 
the traffic committee are represented for 35 cents, and 35 cents is the 
minimum charge on general specials. Shipments above four pounds 
ten ounces will be sent under the general special class unless the 
special rate is more than $8 per hundred, when section D rate will 
again be used. 
The express company will always give you the benefit of the 
lowest rate. But I will state here that it is well to check up the 
receipted bill, which should show the weight of the shipments, and 
if lowest rate has not been applied it may easily be detected. These 
overcharges are not made intentionally, but are due to a lack of 
knowledge of the rate on the part of the bill clerk. I have found by 
experience that this was one of the hardest problems to get into a 
new bill clerk’s head. 
GENERAL SPECIAL 
The general special rate is defined in the express tariffs as a cer¬ 
tain per cent or rate less than the regular merchandise rate, at pound 
rates, no charge less than 35 cents for each company carrying. For 
a number of years twenty per cent off, has been this rate, but within 
the last year a letter rate has been given to the following states: 
Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, 
Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, 
New Hampshire. New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode 
Island, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and 
South Dakota points east of the Missouri river. This scale begins at 
the 90-cent merchandise rate, going to the $8 merchandise rate, 
which will cover the rate from Springfield to any point in the states 
named. 
If the merchandise rate is SI per hundred pounds the general 
special rate is 80 cents, or just twenty per cent discount. When 
merchandise rates are higher the general special plant rate is as 
follows: 
Mdse. rate. 
Gen. Special. 
Discount. 
$2.00 
SI 50. 
25% 
3.00 
2.25 
25% 
4.00 
2.90 
27jk»% 
5.00 
3.40 
32% 
6.00 
4.00 
33/3% 
7.00 
4.75 
32 l A% 
8.00 
5.50 
' 31 K% 
POUND RATES 
The special rate to all other states is twenty per cent less than the 
merchandise rates except when goods are shipped in baskets, when 
regular merchandise rates apply, but they are taken at pound rates. 
Pound rates means, the charge per pound is in cents what the charge 
per one hundred is in dollars. For example: If the merchandise 
rate to a point in Texas is $ 6 , the special is $4, or 4 cents a pound. 
Then the charge on a twenty-pound package would be 80 cents, but 
if shipped in baskets it would be 6 cents a pound, making a charge of 
$ 1 . 20 , vet the charges on a package of merchandise not eligible to 
the general special would be $1.65. So it will be seen that the 
florists are treated much better than the other shippers, except 
publishers, fruit and produce dealers, and shippers of beer and 
whisky. I could never understand why the express companies 
lowered the florists to a level with these four shippers, or put them 
on a par with the florists. 
RATES TO CALIFORNIA 
Another thing that is not generally known is that California has 
350 points with a special rate of $7 and $7.50, a large majority being 
$7. This is a better rate than is given by Uncle Sam. The balance 
of the points in the state cannot be more than $ 8 , which is the same 
rate offered by mail, with enough left on each package of fifty ounces 
or more to pay the expense of sending a postal notice of shipment. 
OVERCHARGES 
As I stated before, section D must be prepaid, but general 
specials may be sent collect, so that the customer gets the advantage 
of this rate also; but the trouble is that in many cases the agent at 
destination, through ignorance, overcharges the consignee. If a bill 
is made with either less or more charges than should be, it is the duty 
of the agent at destination to make correction on the bill, collecting 
the correct amount. 
Very few overcharges are made at the larger points, but at the 
small towns the railroad agent acts for the express company, and in 
most cases on a commission. These are the ones who do not keep 
posted on the rates. True, they have the tariffs, but as a rule they 
do not study them as they should, and, unless a great deal of matter 
under general specials is shipped from their office, they know very 
little of the special rates. We will take for example a case using the 
same rate as I have shown: One of these agents receives a package 
weighing twenty pounds, billed at 80 cents. This appears to him to 
be' a small charge, especially if he is a commission agent. He refers 
to his tariff, finds the merchandise rates per one hundred pounds to 
be $6 and his graduated card tells him the charges on twenty pounds 
at this rate is $1.65. He doesn’t look to see that the special rate is 
S4 and that the charge of 80 cents is correct, but adds 85 cents to the 
bill, collecting $1.65 from consignee. Is it any wonder that people 
become discouraged and do not care to repeat the operation ? How 
many people do you imagine have quit sending away for their plants 
just for this reason. You hear of a few, but the majority simply 
drop out. It is not the fault of the express company, but the 
ignorance of some employee, and prepaying the shipments will be a 
protection against this, to both yourself and customer. 
SMALL PACKAGES 
I have found that to send small packages by express is satisfac¬ 
tory in many ways. You have the means of tracing your shipments 
and knowing the condition in which they were received. Few com¬ 
plaints are received as to boxes being broken or plants crushed, but 
in cases where this occurs, claims can be made for them, and replaces 
sent free where goods have been damaged in transit. 
The express companies have met the postal rates on plants, and 
have gone them one better. If a parcels post is adopted giving us a 
lower rate than the third-class rate, no doubt the express companies 
will meet the rate. 
