Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1911-06-19
TO ADD THE EXPRESS TO THE MAIL BUSINESS.

The subcommittee on postocfice and post roads has taken up
for consideration the Lewis bill, which provides, for condemn
ing and purchasing the express companies and adding them to
the postal system, and establishing a complete system for the
quick transport of packages and the eatable products of the
farm and truck garden, etc.
At their last conference in Washington the representatives of
the business men of the country and of the farmers oranges
asked congress to establish such a system, and representatives
of these interests were present at the hearing before the COM
mittee today.
"There are two main reasons why express companies must
be added to the postal system" said Mr.. Lewis in his argu-
ment.
First, the express company service does not reach beyond
the railways to the country or the farmers, which the postofice
does, through the rural free delivery, which is waiting with
empty wagons to receive the express packages and take them to
the country stores and the farmers, and carry back to the towns
and the cities the produce of the farms and truck gardens for
the people to eat, at living prices.
Second, the contracts of the express companies with the
railways give them an average transportation rate of three
quarters of a cent a pound; and with this rate the express
charges by post would be reduced from two-thirds to one-half
on parcels ranging from 5 to SO pounds, and about % per cent
on heavier weights, as a consequence of the coordination of
the express company plants with the postoice and rural delivery
and the elimination of the express company profits which av-
eraging over so per cent on the investment.
"The express companies are positive hindrances and obstacles
to the business of the country.
"The average charge for carrying a ton of express in Argen-
tina is 1851, and for the countries Of, Europe SAP, while the
average express company charge in the United States is $31.2O.
"They charge five times as much to carry a ton of express as
a ton of freight in other countries.
Here the express companies charge 16 times as much.
"Of course, these charges simply prohibit by half or more of
the traffic in the United States. DII, ' i.
"Our average is less than 100 pounds per capita, while that
of the other countries is over2OO pounds per capita, although
we have far greater demand for quick transport on account of
our longer distances and more extensive business"
1--WE cannot have an efficient parcels post.
"The government cannot conduct it on mail transportation
rates, at over four cents a pound, in competition with the ex-
press companies paying but three-fourths of a cent a pound,
excluding the weight of equipment in both cases; which en-
ables the express corporations to pay over so per cent in profits
to themselves, although rendering no service whatever to the
farmers and to points off the railway"
Mr.. Lewis has worked out a system of zones" based on sci
entifc methods, from which a 5-pound package, for instance,
can be sent 1876 miles for II cents, while the express companies
now charge 25 cents and more for like dinstances; from Calais,
Maine, to San Francisco, will cost 30 cents for five pounds, and
$242 for so pounds, as against the express company charge of
S5 cents and $3.50.
With the rural free delivery a part of the express system, an
agricultural parcels post will market the farmers produce and
save them the time and labor of marketing their truck.
Rates even lower than those quoted are promised, by having
the rural and city carriers assemble the small consignments of
the individual shippers and utilize the fast freight service on
trunk lines, with passenger trains on the branch roads to hurry
the stuff to destination, at regular fast freight rates.
The postofice will recoup itself by securing carload rates for
the assembled shipments, while the small shippers get their adj
vantage over present conditions by having their colect-and-de-
livery system for practically nothing.
This system is now in vogue in Germany, and shippers, Mr..
Lewis shows, pay only double freight rates, less than a tenth of
the express rates here.
The food problem, the "high cost of living" according to Mr..
Lewis figures, is largely the result of the want of a proper ar
ticulation of our transportation with the rural sources of supply.
may be rotting at the place of production, for want of a real
express service"