Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-12-02
DEVELOPMENT OF
EXPRESS BUSINESS
------------------- --
Results Of Second Census Made
Public by Government
Bureau.
--.-----
COMPANIES HAVE INCREASED.
COMPANIES HAVE INCREASED.
Interesting Data as 10 Mileage, Sal.
aries Of Employees, Relationship to
Railway Companies, Etc.
Especial 10 the .,Ncws, .,

Especial to the ''Ncws')
Washington d. c., Dec 2.-Thc bu-
reau Of the census has just issued a
report giving the results of the second
census of the express business The
statistics presented cover tho fiscal
ending June 3, 1907 Except in the case
of a few reports which cover the call
endar year) and relate to those ex-
press companies which forward freight
and valuables over some steam, cleo
trio, water, or stage line, and which
do business in more than one town. a
brief review of the history of the ex-
press business in this country is fol-
lowed by a statement of the principal
functions of the companies and the
usual form of their contracts with car
riers.
DEVELOPMENT SINCE 1890
In 1907 there We're "a express com
panies as compared with is in 1890.
Only 10 OF the companies reporting in
1890 were in existence under the. same
name in 1907, the remaining compan-
les have gone out of business, have been
absorbed by other companies, or are
operating under other names.
The total express milenge has in
creased from 174,059 miles to 235,9OS
miles, q gain of 35.5 per cent. Both IN
mileage operated over railroads and
that operated over water lines show
large gains. the former having In
creased from 1922 to 216,973,
IN s5.5 per cent and the latter
from 1882 to 1875, or $50
per cent A large part of the gain in
steamboat mileage is attributable to
the extension Of the express business
into Alaska, The company operating IN
Alaska and between Alaska and Seattle
was una le TO Segregate its coaStWlse
mileage from the ocean mileage OPP
Grated. Ocean mileage Is not included
in the reports of the other companies.
There has ben decreas from 3,o55 to
z ], 1874 in the mileage operated over stage
lines, due to the abandonment of such
lines upon the construction of railroads
in territory hitherto accessible only by
stage.
Ninety-one per cent of the total mile
age In 1907 is operated over steam rail-
road rs over steamboat lines, nine
tenths of l per cent over electric roads.
and Ave tenths of per cent over stage
lines Fourteen companies report the
use of electric roads for express trans
portation, and OF these, 5, operating
2o530 miles, use such roads eXcill-
sively.
THE. LEADING COMPANIES.
III 19oTHas in 1890 the express business
was dominated by the following six
companies: Adams, American. Pacific,
Southern, United States. and Wells,
Fargo & Co. The last -mentionAd leads
infthc amount OF mileage operated, with
the American Express company a close
second These six leading companies
operated 92.7 per cent of the total mile
age in 1890, and S7.5 per cent in 1907
Tho decrease in the percentage is ac-
counted for by the increase. in the num-
her. and consequently in the mileage, of 1
smaller companies and departments Of
railroads, and by The inclusion at the
present census OF mileage operated in
Alaska and Porto Rico, territories
which have been opened to tho express
business since 1880.
DISTRIBUTION OF THE MILEAGE.
In the number of miles covered by
express companies Texas ranks first
among the states and territories fol-
lowed, in the order named, by Illinois,
Iowa, Ohio. Pennsylvania, New York
and Kansas. The use of steamboat
lines Is most extensive In Alaska,where
water routes furnish practically inc on
~ facilities for transportation. In
Maine, New York, Washington ana
Michigan, the steamboat mileage is al
so large. Electric roads are used by
the express companies in only 20 states.
Seventy-two per cent of the total mile
ago by electric roads IS In Ohio New
York, and California. In only Is states
are stage lines still used by express
companies, and SS.7 per cent of the
mileage of such lines is in the western
states, principally California and Ne
Yada.
OF the 81 companies operating in 1907,
10 operated in only state; of the re-
naming 10 only Operated in more than
5 states and only the 6 leading COM
panies in more than 10.
EMPLOYEES, SALARIES AND WAGES
Among the companies reporting in
1907, Z departments of railways (oper-
ating 4S0.57 miles) could not segregate
the data for employees and wages from
the general accounts of tho railroad.
The q remaining companies reported
the following officers and employees,
with their compensation: 1Ss general