Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1910-06-09
The Outrageous Express Rates.
rhicngo Trlhnne. Mn b.

The Outrageous Express Rates.
Chicago Tribune, May p.
A Washington dispatch says that
parcels post package mailed at Bremen,
Germany, May 2, was delivered at Sc
attic May Ia. That was, indeed, quick
time, but there is another fact worth
mention 1t is that the postage rate
was only IL cents pound for a journey
across the Atlantic and the continent of
North America.
Why should man living in Germany
be able to send to a friend in Seattle a
package at less cost than to send it
from Spokane to Seattle? Simply be-
cause the general government allows
the express companies, cooperating
with or controlled by railroad officials,
TO plumber the people through excessive
carrying charges. 1t has been in the
power Of congress at any time since its
attention was first called to the extor-
tions of the express companies to end
them by the establishment of a home
parcels post system. 1t has failed to
do so though it has sanctioned parcels
post agreements with many foreign
countries. 1t has failed because of the
opposition of senators and representa-
tives owned by railroads and the indif-
ference Of others not thus owned
When the railroads first came to rec
ognize the public need of an express
service they should have furnished it
I themselves. 1t was as much one Of
their functions as the transportation Of
passengers or slow or fast freight.
But keen witted railroad managers saw
in the express companies the possibili-
ties of much money for themseveslii
the situation We're properly handled.
So they turned over to the express
companies the cream of the traffic OF
the roads, the terms being that they
should pay the latter at least 45 per
cent Of their receipts and should not
charge less than one-half more than the
railway freight rates. This is a condi-
ton the express companies have Loyalty
observed. Usually they have kept far
above the minimum rate. The stock of
the express companies is largely held
by railroad officials, who are thus the
direct bepefciaries of a system which
takes business from the roads for the
profit of the railroad officials. On the
other hand, the assets of the express
companies include $43, 600, 600 in railroad
securities.
Tho total investment Of the five ex-
press companies in plant is but So, $40,
600. Their enormous capitalization is
chiefly based on the presumptive earn
ing power of their contracts with the
railroads. How profitable the contracts
have been is evidenced 10y the fact that
the assets Of the companies aggregated
two years ago S97, 600, 600 of which 500,
600, 600 represented undivided profits
mostly held in investment Those mil
lions the people were made to contrib
ute through exorbitant express charges.
The express companies are parasites
which prey upon both railroads and peo-
pie. They take from the former profit
able traffic and oyercharge the people
for handling it, The Hepburn law puts
the express companies under the juris-
diction of the interstate commerce com
mission. 1t has had too much other
work to do to try to regulate their
charges. Congress could regulate them
more effectively and speedily by par
cells post legislation. Then why does
congress refuse to act? Because the
evil influences which have baked legis-
lation in the past are still potent. If the
senators and representatives who are
subservient to the New York, New
Haven and Hartford which dominate
New England, to the Pennsylvania road
and to the Southern Pacific would aban-
don their opposition. we could have
parcels post this year.