The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-05-19
Relation of Express Companies,
Roads and the Public.
Trouble Ahead on Account OF
Excess Rates.
UP TO THE OFFICIALS
Some Practical Defense lis
Needed at Once.
Other Items Of General Interest
in Traffic World.

The attitude taken by the Railway
Age Gazette, a leading railway puph-
cation, O.. the express company trou-
BILE this month is a surprise to Iocal
railroad men. Here is what the nlasa-
kline says editorially;
The express companies of the UNI
ted States are daily laying up holo
trouble for themselves. Their rates are
the object Of attack from many sources
The evidence which has been introduces
before various commissions tne S.In
statistical report of the interstate con,
merce commission regarding them, anu
the innuperable newspaper ana maya
zine articles about them that are DelhS
printed are convincing the pupiIc ma
their rates and earnings are lnoeIensi-
BILE. Meantime, when reprSse sI.'1 - 80 ~
of the companies appear oeIoIe tnS
commissions and courts to oeIehu
themselves they commonly show more
disnosition to conceal, than TO give
pertinent information; and they are
doing almost nothing to concentrate Vi
educate public sentiment.
One of two things IS true: thtneI
the rates are indefensible' or they are
defensible. If they are not deiehslpIe
they ought to be changed. II they d
defensible they ought to be de1enueo
very differently from the way they nave
and courts, and before the court OF
public opinion. The best course for the
conDanies to take, If they want Inc
public convinced that their pos1uon Is
untenabIe, is to continue the utterly
stupid, Bourbon policy that tney nave
followed thus far.
sfThe Pullman company, whose rela-
tions to the railways are somewhat
similar to those OF express companies
exhibited much better sense Seems
that it must either defend its rates or
change them, it promptly adopted the
latter aIternative. and not only reduced
the charges directly under attack, out
made corresponding reductions through
out the country. The facts TO winch
those who investigate these suD1ects
have access indicate that the Pullman,
company had better case to defend
Than have most of the express COM
panies The companies may gain tenn
porariIy by continuing to pursue the
policy they have thus far followed, but,
in the long run, it will cost them much
more than it will profit them. The
time is past when any public service
CORPORATION in the United States can
afford to assume an arrogant attitude
toward the public, or, oStrtch-lke, Suck
its head in the ground and hope that
the people will overlook or forget about
it.
THE relations between some of the
railways and some of the express COM
panies are very close, and it is high
time that the railway managers used
their influence to cause the express
companies to assume a different attf-
tude There is no evidence whatever
that the earnings of the railways for
handling express are excessive.
THE railways have therefore, a very
important interest in having the entire
question of the relations between the
express companies and the public set
1afN aGie )oi1 rxraTy
officers being directors in a large num-
Der of express companies; the express
companies in all cases being mere
agents of the railway; and a number
of them being owned by the railway
companies, the railways can exercise
a potent influence in bringing about
suc.l a settlement, and they ought to
do it."