The express companies of the United States : $b a study of a public utilityBenedict, Bertram
History
The express companies of the United States : $b a study of a public utility
Benedict, Bertram
Express service -- United States; Parcel post -- United States
In Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Norway, Rumania, the old
Russia and Switzerland, packages weighing up to 110 pounds may be sent
by parcel-post (and after 100 pounds the freight service of the
railroads is readily available in the United States as elsewhere). In
1915 France and Italy imposed weight limits of 22 pounds. In Belgium,
Germany, Hungary, Norway, Rumania and Sweden there is no size limit,
except that in certain cases special fees are charged for unusually
large sizes. In Italy, the limit is 24 inches in any one dimension,
although in certain cases packages 41 inches long are accepted. The
limit in Denmark is 39 inches in any dimension. In France, the limit is
60 inches in any direction. With no limits upon weight and size, the
parcel-post might handle the problem of especially cumbersome articles
whose size is disproportionately large for their weight by following the
example of the express companies, charging a special rate twice as large
as the normal rate. And as to shipments so bulky that especial
transportation facilities are needed for them another page might be
taken from the books of the express companies, and special preliminary
arrangements stipulated before such shipments are accepted.
Moreover, the experience of other countries proves that there is no
insurmountable obstacle to removing the limit upon the amount for which
a package may be insured. Merely, special provisions might be necessary,
and perhaps an additional fee above the normal insurance fee charged,
for articles such as jewelry, for which space in safes would have to be
reserved, and for bullion, etc. The following countries seem to have no
insurance limit: Austria, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Portugal, Rumania,
the old Russia, Sweden, Switzerland. The limit in France is $1,000; in
Italy, $200. In addition, some countries give automatic indemnity
without separate insurance fee, up to a small amount.
Similarly, now that the parcel-post experiments for small amounts have
proved successful, the limit upon the amount collected from the
consignee for the expressed article itself could be and should be either
removed or greatly advanced, the fee for this service advancing with the
amount collected. Nor does any cogent barrier present itself against a
separate division in the parcel-post system to sell articles consigned
to it, or even to buy them, the fee again synchronizing with the amount
of the principal involved.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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