The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1912-07-16
PROFITS GONE IS CRY OF
EXPRESS COMPANIES
Long Fight for Reduction Of Ek
press Rates Finally Decided in
Favor Of The People

Chairman Jack Love OF the cor
poration commission Is authority
for the statement that the action OF
the interstate commerce commission
In reducing express rates approx
mately fifteen per cent, as announc-
ed In the press dispatches on Mon
day morning. means almost certain
victory for the commission and the
people of the state in the big fight
with the express companies that
has been pending in the supreme
court of this state for the past three
years
Unless the express companies are
able to give the state supreme
court better evidence than they
have tbeen able to give the inter-
state commission, as to their right
to maintain the existing scale OF
express rates. said the chairman
they are merely gaining time in
their effort to prevent .the pptlap
homa court from sustain the cor
poraton commissions express rates,
tnat have been pending since 1909.
The proposed interstate reductions
are more radical than the proposed
reductions in this state, and If
the interstate commission is any
where near right In It's findings as
10 what express rates should be in
Fs Runtry the Oiahahoma CONS
mission surely is well within the
limits of reasonaIbleness in the
rates it has prescribed for the
business to be done in this state
According to the nress announce
ments of the Interstate scale pro
posed, two pound package that
now moves 1000 miles Interstate
and carries rate of about IS cents,
will under the new scale move for
"a cents. The same package NOV
ing 400 miles under the existing
Oklahoma rate earns the company
3j cents, whereas under the Okla
homa commissions proposed rates
il would earn 80 cents. In other
words the scale that the express
companies have kept in the supreme
court Of this state for three years on
the charge that it is confiscatory
would allow the companies 80
cents for 4t0 mile maui where the
proposed Interstate scale would al
low them only "A cents for a haul
Of 900 miles A three pound pack
age moving 430 miles under the
Oklahoma proposed rate would earn
30 cents, whereas under the pro-
posed interstate scale, moving 1000
miles, il would earn but n cents. A
ten pound package moving 400
miles under the proposed Oklahoma
rate would earn 81 cents aud un
der the proposed Interstate scale
moving l.Q00 miles. would bring the
express company but AZ cents. A
% pound package moving under the
scale that the companies are asking
he court TO say would be confisca-
.ory in oklahoma, (now earning
s110l would under the Oklahoma
scale earn 80 cents going 4taf
niles and under the proposed in
-erstate scale going 1000 miles,
would earn only rs cents,
II the Oklahoma court shall, in
lnal adjudication of the express
,ase appealed from the Oklahoma
decide that the COM
mission rates are reasonable, ii viii
mean the refunding to the express
hippers OF this state, through the
corporation commission. of eyfess
in an amount greater
an $3jN0Q0 representing bollec-
ions by the companies in this
itate above the rates allowed by
he state commission. since the
commission order was promulgated
md appealed The commission re-
luired the express companies 10
protect the shippers by fling an
indemnity bond sufficiently large to
over the excess collections, and
hese bonds have been increased
rom time to time as the aggr egate
If excess collections involved in the
'ase has grown. The companies
IRE required each month to file with
he corporation comIaission de-
allied report showing all shipments
letween points in Oklahoma, the
lame of the sonsignor and con
,ignee the points of origin and
destination of the shipment. the
mount collected. the amount OF the
commission rate. and the amount
IF excess collection that is TO be
protected by indemnity bond.
ri the supreme court sustains the
commission rate and the $3.50, 900
accumulated excess collections Is to
be refunded to the people of the
Continued on Page 81