The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-09-01
PARCELS ,5NExT ,
THING IN THE PROGRAM

< 49,
Washington, d. c., August 3d.
Parcels post legislation will be en-
acted by congress at the. next ses.
sion. 1t will be earnestly recon.
mended by the president, bill will
be passed by the democratic house
of representatives, and the senate is
expected to give it's approval. 1t
will be one of the things for which
both the great parties, including the
progressive republicans, will claim
credit in the coming presidential
campaign. ',st
Thus the end is approaching of
the express company graft. 1t will
be delayed even beyond the next ses-
sion if there happens to be the slight
est diminution of public iterest.
AS a result of the inquiry conduct
ed during the extra session by
subcommittee of the house commit
tee on postoffices an postroads the
fact has been impressed upon con-
gress that the rural as well as the
urban districts want to be freed
from the rapacity Of express com.
panies. This inquiry is to be re-
sumed when congress reconvenes,
but the subcommittee expects to pre-
sent a report with recommendations
to the full committee in time for
that body to act before the Christ
mas holidays.
Will Do Some Probing.
In the meantime there will be an
other investigation in progress
which will throw good deal of
light upon the practices and affilia-
tons of the express companies. BY
direction of the Interstate commerce
commission Frank K. Lane, one of
it's members, will begin in October a
thorough inquiry into numerous
complaints which have been filed
against the companies.
Besides being able, Mr.. Lane is
noted for the thoroughness he dis
plays in dealing with any subject in
trusted to him. His report, there
fore, will be valuable, not only in its
determination of what rates should
legally be charged by the express
companies but in establishing their
relations to the railroads., and it viii
be, an aid to congress in the enact
ment of legislation forsthe. relief Of
the public. -. 4,
The commission has. looked into. q
few complaints and has, maintained
some. rates and reduced others. It
also has secured. reports ,as to the
ownership of stock in. express COM
panies. and. these have shown the
large control which railroads have
over them. 80. d. =.
Stock Held BY. Railroads. !.
Railroad holdings of express COM
panies' stock amount to- $14.124.000.
The New York Central. for example,
owns 100000 OF. American Express
company stock, and the Southern
Pacific owns $1,530,OO0, of Wells.
Fargo stock. In other cases the ex-
press companies are organized for
doing the express business over. the
roads which own the. stock. Six mil
lion dollars of the stock of the Pa
cific Express company belong to
three railroads, which Invested
themselves of it with the, intention
of turning the business over to the
Wells-Fargo company.
In other words, the express COM
panies have served as a subsidiary
profit feeder for the railroads or for
officials of the latter. When the
express company idea originated the
corporation formed obtained a con-
tract from the railroad. These con-
tracts were secured by officers of
the roads, who were made officers of
the express companies
Consequently, as one witness per-
tinently observed before the postal
investigating committee, they were
guilty of fraud upon the rights of
the stockholders of the railroads.