The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-06-23
EXPRESS RATES
HELD TOO HIGH
Convention of Attorneys Cen
eraI Takes Up Timely Topics
With Zest.
ACTION FOR LOWERING
OF EXPRESS RATES URGED
Visitors Entertained at Elab0-
rate Banquet at Salt Lake
Commercial Club.

With comprehensive addresses and dis
cusslons advocating concentrated and i'm
mcI!cte action by the states IN connection
with vital questions now confronting the
pecp.e OF the ma; ;!on. and with The cleo
ton OF cifcc-s and the appointment of
committees. tic National Association of
Attorneys General of the United States
yesterday evening closed the business
sessions o: whGt is conceded 10 haVc been
the mos; succe5sirl annual c9mNenton i i!,lI, ~,
Since The formation of the body nVe years
age. Tho prominent visitors were guests
II homo. nj special tabernacle organ
recital nj noon followed by luncheon
. at the ,i.otel UJah. the conventions head
qucr;cas. As nttinS climax 10 ihelr
Strenuous sessions. the delegates we're
fe'el ~ ar. .apoya,e e banquet at the Com
meyc.al club last night. arranged through
toe cooperation of ;hc Commercial clnp
ana the local branch OF the state Bar
+ association Todav will be spent at B!9s-
han and Garfield as the guests o! the
j;uh CopTe. company. Those VINO arc
+ aoic TO remain un,il the close of The week
VIII devote most Of 'heir Time 10 slsht-
seeing and pleasant recreation.
Ar-aigrs Express Companies.
The mornin. ussem6aGe took place at
10 O'Clock. wccn further discussion al
unc s1-cal;ci express monopoly took
place. TEis was 'c1 - Attorney General
George Cosson O, Iowa. who ~ stTlstns
address. bitterly aTraisncd thc express
companies ana urged the association. In
beSaN OF ;hc states. to secure legislation
toward the lowering Ci rates and thc.ye-
luGiSt!ns o: tac jurisdiction o. the led
cra courts 10 suspend state statutes.
Being unable 10 conclude the express
rate question. this address was .uosiiI 81,
iu;c1 10. that tf Attorney General Hal
J., Norwood of Arkansas. who had ncen
schc5Ulci TO sneak On The Necessity 70:
: Reform Of Criniine! ProceGure.
AT. C0sson entered into his subject In
great detail. na7rat!ng the n,!e history
OF express companies thcig alleged con
s-li33tion and so-cale! MONOPOLY in
connection with the railroads. now the
c&o-otani rates had Welded ploits enor-
mous,y large whcn compared 20 the work
ing ca qitaj involved IN each state and now
was being r:aYen by investigations ihat
. had tcen launched in indiana. Illinois.
. Iowa. Wisconsin. Texas. Nebraska. Mica
izen. Kew Hainnsh!!c. South Dakota.
Montana ana Minnesota.
He declared that some Of the eHpress
companies paid Ms high as $}SOoo.e0o IN
quarterly dividend., and that il the
Wei s-F0rEo company should discontinue
It's express business. the return upon It's
outside invcs;mca would enable II 10
pay over 6,S per cert on its outstanding
capital stock until the end OF time.
This he asserted. vas due 20 excessive
rates and flasrant monopoly. fostercd
and strengthened by the companies hold,
ing great chunks df stock in the railroad
companies ana vice versa.
Contrast With Europe.
Introducing an authentic table from the
Congress siona! Record OF 1911, Nj Cosson
showed that tho ratio of average express
charges IN the len leading nations OF
Europe were S5.53 Per ton against
si4.53 per ton in the United States. and
asscsted that the charges on state bust
ness within the past ten years had been
Increased from 10 TO 40 per cent IN the
mos insidious manner. Ia concluding.
M Cosson said
The service. OF the express companies
COUld
by The railroad companies themselves II
they so desired. ny joint arrangement.
about through The establishment OF n
parcels post OF express with al extended
fast freight service. recommend that
an investigation be made in each state
TO determine whether the arrangements
entered into by the express companies
In the PRONUNCIATION OF their official
classification and their arrangements and
contracts With each other and the rail-
way companies are In compliance with
the state laws and The state trust stat
utes. The examination have made of
pie arc being subjected 10 no greater
abuse by any form of transportation or
public service concern than by the eX
cessiNe charges which they are compelled
10 pay In order to transport matters by
express. ! urgently recommend that joint
action be taken by the several states
looking toward the elimination and cor
rection OF these abuses.
Hear Organ Recital
AS the speaker concluded. recess was
taken. the delegates going TO the organ
recital at the tabernacle. where Prof, j.
j. Mcclellan gave them real treat. fol-
lowed BY a sumptuous luncheon al the
hotel
The convention reconvened at o'clock
when Thomas D. 'Br,cn. former asso-
Minnesota and special attorney in the
rate case now pending in that state de-
lVered an ADDRESS on the subject Co
nrln To-. IT,, -
ice Corporations. Among other facts.
Mr.. O'Brien brought out that the meth
ods OF large corporation managers should
be closely studied TO how they CO.
operate and control business. so that they
could be attacked by the same sort Of
methods on different basis OF purport.
railroads In Minnesota was $500. 900 900,
while the total capitalization OF the roads
In stocks and bonds was 1910 600 600
showing that the value OF the roads eX-
ceeced the stocks and bonds capitaliza-
ton by ~ per cent and that the net
annual earning was $4,000, 0c0. or nearly
per cent OF the value Of the roads. He
predicted that within twenty years the
aiue OF railroad property In the city OF
I: Paul would amount 10 more than the
tlue OF all the property In the city,
!ecastlnS An appalling increase in rates
Tier the present system
Many Problems Discussed
4o7llowiny his speech all the attorneys
Jo.sd in general discussion of the
Jution and also those introduced the
aaSSefore. including the solving of rate
a,na rust questions by the state advoca-
@ ION a decided reform In criminal pro
euui advisabi.ity OF establishing a
Sa $50 ,ureau Of transports ton as a de-
p....p1t Of the government and the Sc
ing congressional enactment where :
ps Ine jurisdiction OF the lower federal
EouI.s suspend state statutes would
1T putated and denied.
he elction of officers for the nexl
yivar iny tnel took place. resulting as fol-
wv; wv; Preident. Attorney General u S
, mepn OF :aiifornia: vice president, At
s,9rney Geleral George T. Simpson OF
minnesota; secretary and treasurer. At
'orhey Senral George Cosson OF Iowa
=, discuSsioi arose as 10 the place foi
ii Inc holding II the next annual cohven-
t,on, t,,nn, Aiabana. Missouri oklahoma and
,lnnois weFc suggested but after q
iesistby debat' il was decided to leave
.he matter in the hands OF a commit
zee consisting II the officers OF the as
Sociation. 10 sdect Tie place and cal
.ne meeting al .heir discretion. ii report
anerco1 10 be seat 10 the attorneys gen
eral before March L. 1912
committee consisting OF Attorneys
General Charles West. George T. Simp.
ra.f -