Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1910-12-28
IlIGHT FOR lower EXPRESS.
Commerce Commission will Move for
Sweeping Reduction of Rates.

Sweeping Reduction of Rates.
Washington Dec. 26. LIN the an
nual report of the interstate COM
merce commission, sent to Congress
on Wednesday last, attention Is
called to the efforts made by the COM
mission to collect statistics bearing
on the business, capitalization aud
earnings Of the express companies of
the United States.
a detoiled report Of the business or
thirteen companies which operate
over 2G0,507 miles OF railroad has
been made to the commission for the
three selected months Of April Aug
ust and December, 1909, and shows
the Kind of business transacted by
the express companies, the number Of
pieces handled by them during the
months indicated. =, the average weight
Of each piece, and the aggregate in
average revenue per piece per pound
Of freight
Under the table showing the grad
uated scale Of charges by the express
companies and the erect of changes
in these graduates upon the total
amount paid by the public for express
service, it is disclosed that rates have
been materially increased since 1896,
and that in las changes in rules and
classifications that affected the
charges on shipments, SO per cent Of
them were increases.
For the three months Indicated
April, August and December 1909
the 13 companies reporting derived
a gross revenue of $?6,S5G,551, and
an average revenue Wir piece handled
of 50.49 cents. The al lerage revenue
per pound was little over la cents
The companies handled over z l,0OO,-
600 pieces OF merchandise, weighing
over two and quarter billion
pounds
The four leading express compan-
les Of the country IN the order Of
number OF miles Of railroad over
which they operate are the Wells,
Fargo & Company, 65,69S miles; the
American Express, 1929 miles; the
Adams Express Company, 34,360
miles; Southern Express Company,
33, ,1SS miles.
On the basis Of the showing made
in the reports referred to, 1t is eX-
pected that the Interstate commerce
commission will shortly take up the
subject Of ordering sweeping re-
dnction in @eXisting express rates.
There have been widespread protests
that present charges are eXhorbtant
and excessive and burden upon the
business Of the country, and there are
numerous requests to the commission
to order REDUCTIONS.
Stateni> hts before the committees
Of ongress in hearing on measures
atfecting the express companies were
to the effect that the earnings Of the
express companies amounted to from
100 to 1000 per cent per year. @
Representative Victor Murdock. OF
Kansas, is also insisting that the gov.
ernment should exercise it's monopoly
in the carrying business on all mer-
chandise that is mailable and OF such
size that 1T can be transported by the
government at profit. He insists
that now the government gets only
the parcels that Uncle Sam transports
cheaper than the express companies,
and that all the rest OF the business
goes to the private corporations. The
small packages going long distances
are now sent through the mails, while
the large packages going short dis
tances are sent by express. In the
one case the government handles the
business at loss, and in the other
the express companies handle the
business at profit.
By forcing all mailable packa ges to
be sent through the mails Mr.. Muir
dock says that ,he postal service can
be made t" pay dividends.
r . . . Z N . IL b .. .. e