The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1905-02-09
ASKS EXPULSION
Of THOMAS PLATT
Charles W. Post Files Petit
ton With Mr.. Frye.
He ALLEGES A CONSPIRACY
Furnishes Affidavit Quoting Senator az
Avowedly Opposed to Parcels
Post Legislation.
He ALLEGES A CONSPIRACY

a petition for the expulsion from the
United States Senate of Senator Thomas
:. Platt of New York, has been filed
with President pro tenn. Frye, by Charles
" Post. OF Battle Creek Mich, who
has long been urging the establishment
of parcels post system.
Mr.. Post, in his petition, declares .'he
is a citizen of the United States, a resi-
dent of the District of Columbia. a tax
payer in said District, and other places
In the United States, and has FREQUENT
occasion to employ express companies in
sending valuable packages from and to
different places in the United States"
He charges that Senator Platt. who is
the head of the United States EXPRESS
Company, mas used his official position
as Senator to ohstruct any possible
parcels post legislation which would
prove unfavorabIe to the six express
companies of the country, namely, the
United States Express Company, Adams
Express Company, the American Elk
press Company, the Southern Express
Company. the Wells Fargo Express
Company, and the National Express
Company.
Violations Alleged.
Mr. Post quotes the Sherman anti
trust law and says:
The third section of the act in cues
ton in substance extends the proyi-
sions of section L to combinations af-
feeting trade in any territory of the
United States or in the District of Co
lunhia- He then declares:
On information and belief. the ne
titioner charges that all said express
companies with other express com
panies have entered into a combina-
tlon and conspiracy in violation OF sec
flons !, ?, and of said act in and
by which combination and conspiracy
they seek TO. and do, restrain anciapre-
vent competition in the Interstate ex-
press business in the United States and
IN the Territories and in the District
or Columbia, through the maintenance
of Identical classified lions of articles
and identical rates for the same. and
by which they seek to, and do. monopo-
lie the interstate express business in
the United States and in the Territories
thereof, and in the District of Column
bia" .se5-
The petitioner further charges that
included in the business carried on by
the express companies is what is com
monty known as the express money. or
der business, and the business of trans
porting money from one bank trust
company, or other financial institution
10 another, and of transporting paDer
currency and other money to the Treas
urer Of the United States, or TO SUBJ
treasures. for redemption. Such al
legged Illegal combination and conspfr
acy covers this business also and mo-
nopolizes it. says Mr. Post, who then
continues:
Charges Of Conspiracy.
BY reason of the unlawful monop-
oily and combination aforesaid. said ex-
Press companies have been able 20 main
tain and have maintained charges for
all the different kinds OF business above
described far in excess of reasona bic
rates, ana they have been collecting.
and are now annually collecting, from
the people Of the United States, and
from the banks, trust companies and
other financial institutions doing bust
ness therein, and from publishers of
books and others having frequent occa-
sion TO. require the services Of express
companies, hundreds of thousands of
dollars over and above just compensa-
ton for the services which they render
After describing the pending Iegisla-
ton on the subject In several sessions
OF Congress. Mr.. Post attaches the fol-
lowing affidavit of his secretary. who
interviewed Mr. Plat on the subject
y
Public Thomas b Huyck, is as fol-
lows
The Dawson Affidavit.
I'VE, Clarence E. Dawson and Edward
II. Dawson, jr.. on oath say as follows:
cat the request of Charles w Post.
on the 18th day of December, 1903, we
called en- Senator Thomas c. Plat. at
the Arlington Hotel in the city of Wash
ington. in the District of Columbia
Clarence e. Dawson informed Mr.
Plat that he was the secretary TO
Charles W Post and explained TO the
said Plat, that said Charles w Post
IS the originator OF the Post check cur
rencE plan, a bill for the adoption OF
which had been introduced in the Fifty
seventh and Fifty-eigfth Congresses |
and told him that Mr. Post had been in |
formed that Senator Plat was opposed !
TO the measure, and also that we had
come TO see him for the purpose of get
ting from Mir. Plat. himself a direct |
expression of his opinion on the subject |
Clarence Z. Dawson then handed Mr. |
PIatt q copy OF the bill referred 10 Oh |
r. 1875, F'ifty-eishth Congress- and ask /
ed Mr. Piatt il he had ever seen the bill |
or become acquainted with the subject |
matter OF il.
Senator Plat replied:
=. 7 have seen it, and / am against ii |
because it conflicts with my express |
money-order business
He added that while he was not in the |
Senate to represent the United States /
Elk press Company. at The sal me time he /
could not favor and would fight any /
that seemed against the inter /
ests Of the express companies; that his /
company had nearly 10000 express offices, |
and that in most cases where his com |
pany had no office the other companies |
had, that the country WAS pretty |
well covered; and that what affected one /
affected all, and that he naturally felt |
that he would have TO oppose any legis- !
9 ton which seemed to conflict with the /
interests Of the express companies in /
any way.
1.-THE said Clarence Z. Dawson then |
asked him if he desired It understood |
that his position would be simply |
passive one, or whether he would go out /
Of his way 10 put obstacles in the path |
Of the bill. Mr.. Plat thereupon replied |
all IN his power TO fight it
"CLAREACE L. DAWSON
EDWARD NJ LAWSON JR"
Cough Remedy the Best
Made.
IN my opinion Chamberlain Cough
iy1a.. Il e he hoe I