The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-12-22
The River Press.
Published every Wednesday. Morning
by the River Press Publish
ing Company.
WILL PROBE EXPRESS RATES.

Since its organization the Montans
State Railroad commission has done
. large amount of good work for the
shipper and consumer In Montana,
but nothing 1t has done 90 far equale
In Importance the work II has in hand
relating to express rates charged in
this state. Some time ago the com.
mission began on it's own initiative
an investigation of express rates and
It has compiled q publication which
should be in the hands Of every ship.
per In the state, showing not only the
rates charged in this state, but also
containing comparisons with those
charged for like service In other states.
Having collected the facts and figures
the board has ordered the express
companies and the railroads to ap-
pear before it January 26 and answer
81 questions.
Heretofore In hearings before the
board the carriers have been able to
avoid issues by saying they did not
know they would be required to an
swer certain questions. These 81
queries sent the carriers more than q
month before the hearing by the board
do not leave any loopholes of escape.
The publication issued by the board
contains many pages of rates, and the
fret question is whether those given
in the book are not the published tar
ifs of the carriers. The next question
is. If the rates given are not the pub.
lished tariffs, wherein do they differ?
But the third question, which is sub
divided, contains the meat of the pro.
position. 1t is: What reasons, If any,
exist for
IA higher rates In Montana than in
Washington?
o. higher rates In Montana tn an in
Minneasota?
(c) higher rates il Montana than in
Missouri?
"a higher rates in Montana than
from Ogden, Utah; Cheyenne, Wyo.;
Portland, Ore: Omaha, Neb., or
Texarkana. Ark, for like distances,
as shown in exhibit?
The express business of the United
States has long been considered the
biggest side graft in the railway bust.
ness. Officials of the railway organ.
lie an express company and get the
right to carry goods by express over
the road with which they r connected
and in which they hold stock. The
equipment necessary is not expensive
and profits are enormous. The rail-
road stockholders get nc especial ben
eft from the business, the profits GO
ing to the insiders, and the general
public getting the worst of it. Before
Mr.. Hill got control of the Northern
Pacific there was the Great Northern
Express company, and the Northern
Pacific. About two years ago the
two were consolid ated under the name
OF the Northern Express company. If
there vas any profit in that cosolida.
ton it has not been the shipper who
received it.
For several years there has been an
effort made to have the national gov
eminent probe into the express COM
pany graft. That it needs q probe is
shown by the statement that during
the nresank trouble with the switchmen
Helena dealers have been compelled
to ship coffee to Town by express from
Chicago. aud they have paid q rate OF
nine and q half cents q pound, which
with the tare amounts to ten cents.
The state commission cannot do any
thing in such a case, because 1t is in
terstate business, but it Is possible
that the investig alton started In Mon.
tana may lead to similar action else.
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