The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-02-16
BY w. G. Shepherd.


NEW YORK, Feb. ia
fighting Irishman from Minnesota
is in New York, armed with sharp
tools with which he hopes to take
the life of the gigantic and OPP
pressive express trust.
He is jas P. Manihan, and he is
appearing before the interstate
commerce commission as counsel
for Benz. e. Sunberg, a Minnesota
state senator and farmer. Sun
berg became convinced that the
express octopus was just about the
most evil institution in indus
trial America, and with Manihan
he has been fighting to let the
monsters life blood.
Soon after the hearing was
opened l went to Manihan and
asked what he hoped to prove
against the express trust. He
said:
Half of all we pay for food in
this country goes to the railroads
and the express companies. My
purpose before the interstate
commerce commission is to dem
onstrate that the express business
of the United States is a parasitic
growth inflicted upon the trans
portation and business interests
of the country. The railroads
submit to it because, under the
arrangement, the earnings coming
to the railroad is greater for ex-
press tonnage haul than freight
generally, on small packages, is
deliberately made exasperatingly
slow, so as to direct as muck pack
age freight as possible to the ex-
press service, of which the rail-
roads share is much more per
pound than it receives on it's gen.
eral freight.
1.-The railroads ought to be
compelled by the government to
render fast freight service for the
bulk of the present traffic that
moves by express and at rates
less than one-half of what is now
exacted for that traffic.
1.-The parcels handled by ex-
press companies ought to be han.
died by government parcels post
The money order and travellers
checks business of the express
companies should be and can be
done as efficiently by banks
There is no legitimate field what
ever for express business. This
is demonstrated clearly by the
history of the big companies,
1.-THE conceded facts are thai
the American Express Co. In 81
years grew from nothing to ;
value of over $45,000,000. Thu
Adams in the same time grew
from the hand satchel of the orig
inator of the company to owe
$45,000,000. The United State
Co. accumulated from nothing a
a starter to property approx
mating value of SIS. 100000. TIL
Wells-Fargo, in much shorte
time, gathered assets of $40,
100000.
"Three millions came out o
; the pockets of the people VIII
were compelled to accept a servic
at extortionate rates. This enor
nous capital, working either alon
or in connection with big trans
portation companies, Yields tire
mendous ,power. Several of tn
states have tried to remedy con
ditions, but they have been me
by federal injunctions and kindre'
tactics everywhere.
1.-THE grip of the express com
Ipanies on transportation inter
ests and the enormous accumula
ton of capital all came about be
fore congress conferred any juris
diction on the interstate com
merce commission.
"The present action, brough
by State Senator Sunberg
charges that ting companies exer
else a monopoly of the business
and that their rates are unlaw
fully high.
"As matter of fact, the ex
press companies are in competi
ltion with the government IL