The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-07-22

! a combination OF the local rates going
to make up the through rate. On this
subject the commission says:
in the absence Of specific through
routing by the shipper it is the duty of
the agent Of the carrier to route the
I shipment Via the cheapest reasonable
/ route known. Unless this well estab-
hshed rule is to be set at naught. the
] commission must hold that the lowest
/ combination Of rates through any rea-
! sOnable junction must be the maximum
charge for the through haul"
Claim of the Companies.
/ The express companies claimed the
/ right to make extra charge because of
/ the additional handling in transferring
such shipments from one express COM
/ pany TO another. The commission, after
/ examination into the facts, finds that
/ there is no additional expense worthy Of
| consideration; no more expense than
would usually be incurred were pack
! ages shipped from origin to destination
through one, rather than two COmpa
mics. Express packages crossing the
continent are transferred several times
! from one car to another, and one agent
TO another. whether carried entirely by
one company or by two. and on this
ground the defense set up by the car
riers is disregarded as unworthy of Sc
rlous consideration. AS showing the
folly Of the express companies conten-
. ton, the commission shows that in its
practical application this charge
amounts to 81 extra for transferring an
eight-pound package. and p cents for
transferring twenty fve-poUnd pack
age
1T is apparent" continues the COM
mission. from what has been said, and
Illustrations Of similar character
might be given as to all exclusive ex-
press stations, certainly in the far west,
if not throughout the whole country,
that these express tariffs violate the
cOmmOnest rules by which the reason
abieness of rates may be determined. If
the Pacific Express company were to-
morrow to make q contract with a rail
line from Buffalo to New York. the rate
TO Boise on an eight-pound package
would automatically be reduced to 81 20
If the same company were to lose its
contract over any portion of the route
from Buffalo west. its rate from Buff
faiO TO Boise would by force of its rule
be increased. In short, the rates are
fixed by agreement between the carriers
that where two carriers have offices
certain rates shall apply, and where but
one carrier has an office other rates
shall apply. This is not the recognition
of competition, but an agreement on
both sides to COncede that competition
might have a certain result and accept
that as fixed to all points on all rail-
roads throughout the country.
No Order Made.
I'VE are unwilling at this time to or
der reduction of the rates to Boise and
ton of the double graduate rule when
the haul is over the line of two express
companies. But it is none the less evil
dent that such rule as at present ap-
piled upon through shipments to Boise
and similar nOints leads to results
which have been condemned BY this
commission from its institution. The
carriers themselves must recognize this
chaotic condition. II exists. no doubt, |
because these companies have but re- /
Gently come within the puTview Of the /
act to regulate commerce. A system !
must be developed by which express /
rates crates applicable to an expedited /
railroad service, plus additional ter /
minal service) shall conform to the /
standards to which the railroads have 7
in great measure conformed and which /
the law enjoins.
We therefore make no order in this i
case at this time. but viii call upon the /
carriers involved to present to the com
mission in writing on or before Oct. / /
next a new basis of rates to be used /
for the carriage Of small packages to 4
Boise and points similarly situated.
Such basis should not, in our opinion.
affect the creation of rates which will
be higher than can be made by com
binatiOn through the nearest junction
point of the two carriers, and must rec
Ognize the rule that but one rate can
be I'm effect between the same points
on the same class of traffic without re-
spect to the time of the payment Of
charges"