The Cairo bulletin., 1910-06-15
EXPRESS CHARGES
HIGHER IN ILLINOIS THAN IN
OTHER STATES WITH MORE
FAVORABLE CONDITIONS.
Illinois Railroad Commission Asked
to Compel Reduction and
Regulate Express
Companies.

l
the unreasonable and inconsistent
practice by which the express com
panies have been able to gouge ex-
tortionate rates for years from the
shippers of Chicago and Illinois Is
| contained in the brief submitted to the
| Illinois railroad and warehouse com
mission in behalf of the Chicago AS
ISOLATION of Commerce following the
recent Investigation by the commits
sion. The investigation was instituted
on account of advances of 40 per cent
in the rates out of Chicago in two
Years.
The brief, which was prepared by
Edon j, Casoday and Rush G. Butler
attorneys for the association, is based
on the evidence obtained at series
| of hearings before the comission ex-
tending over four months. 1t is said
to comprise one of the most complete
reports ever presented to govern.
mental regulating body of the meth
| DDS by which the public is mulcled
for the benefit of the express COM
panies and the railroads.
Recitals of the concert of action be-
| tween the express companies and of
the close relations between the ex-
press companies and the railroads, to-
gether with some searchlight glances
| into the capitalization and financing
of the express companies, reveal in de.
tail many obscure reasons for their
consistent piling up of enormous sur
pluses and huge profits.
Reduction of Rates Urged
With the brief is included an alb
stract comprising several hundred
pages of unwilling testimony of ex.
press officials on the basis of which
the commission is urged: ir
To establish rates for express COM
panies within the state of Illinois
based upon weights and mileage.
That in general the rates be reduced
approximately 80 13 per cent.
That it establish special suburban
rate for Chicago Consistent with the
large volume of business and the den.
| sity of population and railroad mile
age in Illinois.
That the graduate scale be grad
uated equitahly from proper mini
~ fail Ip Nj
that it be consistent In It's graduation
and in the charges 1t imposes at the
differen rates.
"Rates thus established" 1t is as
serted, will inevitably increase the
business and the net earnings of the
express companies, will give the pub
| lie service at a cost that Is reason
able, will make ineligible to shippers
generally the rates and charges con-
corning which they are now in almost
Total ignorance, and, finally, will give
to the people Of the state at large a
reassurance- new faith-in the
institutions and instrumentalities of
representative government"
Secret Key Book is Used.
Methods by which unreasonable
rates have been imposed are described
in detail with the following conclu-
sions:
"The scale itself imparts no infor-
nation whatever as to the charge on
any particular shipment. Such infor-
nation can be obtained only by the |
use OF key book, with which only |
the agents Of the express companies
are intrusted
sThe scale gives no information as
to the distances to which any rate
thereon shown is applicable.
"The graduate scale is based upon |
100 pound weights, whereas the large
proportion OF packages handled by ex.
press companies weigh less than
seven pounds.
Express companies has so grad
0uated their scales as to impose the
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