The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-02-09
Michigan Man Wants Him
 Expelled from Senate
EXPRESS CO.'S FORM TRUST
MT. Post Alleges That PIatt Has Said He Will Not Pass Any Bill
 UnfavorabIe to Ills
 Companies. IGizl

Washington. February sc. ". Post, of Battle Creek, Mich. who has interest ed himself largely in the establishment of a parcels post system, today filed with President Protem Frye, of the Senate, petition for the expulsion of Senator Thomas c. Plat from the Senate. The petition Is based upon the assertion that MT. Platt as the executive officer of the United States Express company is par ty to a conspiracy to maintain Identical rates among express companies for ar ticles shipped over their lines and he asserts that Platt has told representa- tives of his company that he will oppose all legislation injuriously affecting his companys interests.
 In his petition MT. Post charges the six companies of the United States with conspiring to violate the antitrust act by monopolizing the express business of the country and fixing the rates. He alleges that ''by reason of unlawful com bination, the express companies have maintained charges for all the different kinds of business far in excess of reason able rates, and they have been collect ing and are now annually collecting from the people of the United States and rom the banks and trust companies, and other financial institutions, and from publishers of books and others having frequent oc- casion to require the service of express companies, hundreds of thousands or dollars over and above just compensa- tion for the service which they render
 Patt Opposes the Bill.
 He then mentions the post check cur lency bills which are and have for sev- eral years been before Congress, and says that by the plans proposed In them much of the business of sending small sums Of money through the malls which is now transacted by the express companies would be taken from them to their injury, but to the benefit of the people of the United States and of the government of the Unit ed States, which itself pays many thousands of dollars every year to express companies for services, which it is one of the objects of such bills to render un- necessary"
 Mir Post charges that in his capacity as president of the United States Express company, Senator Platt is participating in the conspiracy charged, and proceed ing, says: He is daily engaged in per forming overt acts against the public; and that the senator has used and is con- tinuing to use his influence as a sem ator to oppose the passage of the bills referred to, or any of them, on the ground that If passed they would anect lnJurl- ousy the business of said express com panies and reduce the amount which said companies by reason of said combination and conspiracy are yearly obtaining from the people of the United States and from the government thereof. over and above just compensation for the services which they render"
 Asks for Examination.
 He, therefore, asks the Senate to insti- tute an examination Into the case. and that if the charges are proved the Sena- tor be expelled. Explaining his reason for proceedings against the Senator, he says
 '.The petitioner and the public are with out an adequate remedy elsewhere against the said Thomas c. Platt, be- cause of the provisions of section of article of the constitution of the Uni ted States, which makes the Senate the sole judge of the qualifications of It's members and gives to the Senate only the power to deprive a senator of his seat"
 In support of his statement Mr. Post filed an affidavit by Clarence E. Daw- son to the effect that Senator Platt had told him that he was against the Post check bills because the plan If adopted would interfere with his business and that he would use his position as sena- tor to defeat them.