Los Angeles herald., 1907-11-13
CLEAR, CRISP AND CLEAN
SEE STATES PAGE FOR ALL THE NEWS
FROM YOUR OLD HOME.
PL.ATT

N the course of an inquiry by the
New York public service commits
u sion into the affairs Of the United
States Express company and allied cor
porations transacting general express
business, attorneys for stockholders in
the former corporation stated that the
board of directors was a self-perpetuat-
ing body; that no meeting of stockhold-
ers had been held since 1862 and that
although the board of directors had
been requested by a majority of the
shareholders to call a meeting OF the
shareholders for the election of direc-
tors, it refused to do so; that the United
States Express company is controlled
by the Adams and American express
companies, and that neither of the last
two companies has had meeting of
stockholders in years for the purpose of
eIecting directors.
It was also shown that though the
articles of association of the company
provide that no director therein shall
be interested in a rival company two
of these directors are officials in the
American and Adams Express COM
panies and jointly hold 10000 shares of
stock in the United States company.
Without this community of interest the
stock Of any Of these express COM
panies, according to the attorney for
the United States company, would be
almost worthless.
The United States Express company
is the concern of which United States
Senator Thomas C. Platt of New York
is president and in which he is almost
absolutely the controlling factor. 1t
has been notorious for many years that
Platt's attendance upon the sessions Of
the senate is chiefly as the representa-
tive of the companies with which he is
so prominently identified. 1t is in Platt
and the small but powerful Washing
ton coterie Of which he is the head,
heart and soul that the advocates of a
federal parcels post find their most un-
relenting foe.
Here is a doddering senile but ex-
tremely amiable old gentleman, now in
his seventy-fifth year, whose entire
public service has been devoted to the
protection of private interests. Long
ago he passed the stage where he con-
sidered it necessary to disguise his in
tentions. Every member of the New
York state legislature since 1896, when
Platt was once more permitted to re-
sumo the senate seat which he had re-
signed during the Garfield administra-
tion because of that presidents disre-
gard of senatorial courtesy in ap-
pointing the collector of the port of
New York without consulting Platt and
Conkling, his confrere, has known that
Platt's chief aim in seeking to repre-
sent New York at Washington has been
to watch the interests of the United
States and other express companies.
And as every member Of the state
legislature electing Platt has known
his motive in pulling the political
strings that he might safeguard the
selfish interests of these corporations,
SO every member of both houses in
every congress since Platt first became
a more or less conspicuous figure at
the national capital knows that his
first consideration is the protection of
these private interests, and that though
United States senator in name he is
little more than lobbyist in fact.
For some time Platt has been mar
shaling his forces to defeat the parcels
post bill which will be introduced into
congress next winter. If, in the light
shed by the disclosures of the New
York public service commission and the
knowledge that public sentiment is
overwhelmingly in favor Of the enact
rnent of this law, the congress fail to
pass it, the brand OF traitor to the pub
lie veal will have become indelibly i'm
pressed upon the personalities of the
men who cast their votes with Platt.