The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1910-02-07
THE PAY ROLLS
WERE PADDED
COMMERCE coMMts-
SION OPENS HEARINGS
IN NEW YORK.
SERIOUS CHARGES MADE
Alleged That Salary List Of U. S.
Express Company Is 80 Times
Greater Than Great
Northern.

rolls of former Senator Thomas
Platt's United States Express Con-
pany have been persistently padded
/. and that its salary list is thirty t.tnes
that OF the Great Northern railroad,
We're among the allegations made
yesterday at the beginning Of the in
yestigation of the interstate COM
merce commission into the express
business as conducted by the. four
largest companies in the United
States-the United States, Wells-Far
20, Adams and American companies
The taking of testimony began be-
fore Examiner Frank Lyons OF the in.
terstate commerce commission, and 1t
is freely stated that one Of the chief
subjects to be probed is the reported
merger of tho -four big companies SUD-
sequent to the purchase by the Ameri
can Express Company of the big block
of Wells-Fargo stock formerly owned
by the late +, H. Hartman and the
Southern Pacific railroad company.
The direct complaint upon which
the interstate commerce commission
js Investigating the express business,
is based upon a charge made by Law
yer James Minihan. OF Minneapolis
acting for State Senator B. l.. Sund.
berg, of Kennedy Mnn.. who alleges
that the -four big express companies
iare,to all intent and purposes a cont
bine In restraint Of trade and that
they have mutual working agree
Ement which has brought about the
elimination of competition, and has
caused Increase Of rates and has en-
ahied the companies to- maintain
rates II an eXhorbitant level
Senator Sundberg bases HIS par.
-tcular grievance upon the fact that
when he received at his farm q cast.
ing for piece Of agricultural mn.
ehinery of the valre of about 81 the
express company charged him sac fer
its transportation.
Edward r. Platt, treasurer aud a.
rector Of the United States Express
; Company, was ther first witness ex
Iamned He said he became a direc.
tor in the company in 1879. and treas
'urer in 1901. Francis Lynde Stetscn
and l.. c. Weir became directors In
tthe same year, tss.s
II Mr.. Platt was asked II was rdt, n
fact that when Mr.. Weir was elected
iit was for the purpose Of represent
y ing the interest of the United States
Express Company owned by the.
Adams Express Company.
+, Judge Lyons sustained an objection
tC the question.
Who is Mr. r. G. Platt?" asked
Lawyer Minahan.
President Of the United States Ex-
lpress Company was the answer
How Receipts Jumped.
Wasn't circular stating that the
companys surplus was increased
more than onc-half after the election
@tof Messrs Stetson and Plat sent out
by T. G. Platt on Aug II, 1902"
This also was successfully objected
to. and tho lawyer then. inquired IL
Mr.. Platt would tell how the receipts
jumped from $l0,o00,o,o in 1907 to
$lG000C1O in 1908.
"T have no explanation TO make,
replied Mr.. Platt Il might assume
why, but don't care to say
"Did the company ever speculate
No" answered MIR Platt who
later said the United States Express
ICompany held twelve shares of Wells
Fargo stock, but no stock of othe'
EeXpress companies Asked if his com
lpanys had raised rates, the witness
said he was unfamiliar with rates,
burt he gave it as his opinion that
there was competition between ex-
ipross companies
Crosby Gives Evidence.
Chauncey H. Crosby vice president
, general manager and secretary of the
United States Express Company, was
; the next witness k+
Mr. Crosby stated that rates had
been raised here and there. but not
: generally. He denied that the gross
t revenues of his company had in
! creased 81 900, 900 year since 1901.
, He thought there had been sl'gst
: decrease in rates The rate to Chr
/ cago by freight. he said. was rs cents,
while by express it Is se.50 He said
! lit cost 50 cents hundred pounds to
, lhand'e any commodity In Chicago and
more in this city
: James Fargo testified that he is
treasurer of the American Express
Company 1t owns no stock in the
United States, he declared Frank
; H. Plat, he said, bought the stock
the company did own for cash. The
/ lonly express stock now owned by his
company is the Westcott company
4 The investigation will be continued