The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-07-01
FILL NEW hAIEN
Express Companies Forestall
Action of the /. C. C.
By Announcing a Material Re-
duction in Tariffs.
PROBE THE BUSINESS
A Thorough Investigation Will
Be Conducted.
Including Practices, Accounts
and the Revenues.
PROBE THE BUSINESS

Washington, July IA sweeping in
vest!gation of all of the express com
panies in the United States, affected
by the interstate commerce laws today
was ordered by the interstate COM
merce commission on its own motion.
Evidently in anticipation of this ac-
tion by the commission practically all
of the express companies, with the ex-
ception of the Long Island, late yester-
day afternoon filed new tariffs which
are believed to be material reductions
in rates It was said today that it
would require several months to COM
pare the rates with those now in ex-
istence.
1t was announced. however, that the
fling of the new rates would not affect
the proposed investigation in any way.
This investigation will be one of the
widest in scope ever undertaken by the
commission and not only will be con-
Quoted as to rates but will include the
practices, accounts and revenues of the
various companies.
More than a year ago a number of
the leading comm ercial organizations
of the country petitioned the commits
sion for general investigation into
| the rates and methods of the express
/ companies, and in it's order today the
commission says that the inquiry is or
| dered ito determine whether such
rates, classifications. regulations or
4 practices or any of them are unjust or
| unreasonable, or unjustly discrimfna-
| tory or unduly preferential or preJud1-
| ciaI or otherwise in violation OF the
! provisions of said act, and to deter
mine the manner and method in which
the business of said express companies
and each of them is conducted"
The following carriers are named as
! parties defendant in the proceedings:
/ Adams, American, Canadian, Cana
| dian Northern, Davenport and Ma
| sons, Dodd and Childs, Dunlaps. Earl
| and Prews, Globe, Great Northern,
| Morris, European and American. Ma
tional, New England, New York and
Boston, Despatch, Northern, Pacific.
Southern. United States, Wells Fargo,
| Westcott and Western Express COM
panies the Worcester despatch, Dart
& Company. Manhattan Delivery com
| pany, and the New England Despatch
| company, stand also the natural Per
Isons above named and each Of them
who IS err. aged in such express busf-
ness under the above names.
The reductions in express rates hled
1 are said to be important only so far as
Il they affect what are known technically
iaS cofnb nbtnatSOIl ast1es--thaC Is, III
stances in which snipm ents are made
Z! by two companies to q. final deSt1na-
ton Express combination rates long
have been figured on a graduated scale
of weights based upon one hundred
4 pounds If the rate on a hundred
1 pound package is one dollar, for in
stance, by the Adams Express com
pany to a junction point with the
United States Express company and
one dollar from that junction point te
the shipment destination. the combined
rate would be two dollars. By the
terms of the proposed tariff the com
bfned rate would be s1.60, a reduction
| of Is per cent.
By reason of varying distances and
varying weights of shipments. thS
percentage of the reduction also varies
| between D0fnts of origin and points 0-
; destination. but the average reduction
on combinations of graduated rates il
} approximately IT per cent So far tht
! examination of the new tariff filed witt
the commission discloses no reduction:
in straight rates by single companies
except in instances where manifest in
: justice apparently heretofore has beer
done.