East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1912-07-15
SWEEPING CHANGES IN EXPRESS RATES
ORDERED BY INTERSTATE COMMISSION


Washington, July 15.-The inter-
state commerce commission yesterday
issued its report In the express inves-
tigation. The report, which is writ
ten by Commissioner Franklin X.
Lane, presents a schedule of express
rates to be extended between all
points in the United States, the out
line OF q new classification of express
matter, q new and slmplified method
OF stating rates, and calls upon the
express companies to make extensive
reforms not only in their rates but
in their rules and practices.
The conclusions of the commission
are as follows:
The test of the express company as
a public utility is at hand. Certainly
1t is not deniable that the express
company has to no slight degree lost
the confidence of the people 1t serves
and is regarded now as only upon
probation. To help 1t to a greater de-
gree Of usefulness and to preserve II
as a public agency we have conducted
this inquiry, reaching, as it has,
down to the most elemental practices
of the carriers and broadening into a
sea OF infinite detail. 1t has not been
deemed wise to will this report with
the complaints that have come to us.
Some of these were beyond our pow
er to reach by order; some involved
no more than the shortcomings of
local agent. The great mass of criti-
cism however, went to the heart OF
real delinquencies in the service given
or the rules or rates of the carriers
and have in a broad way been dealt
with herein II is not to be expected
that even with an INJURY as extend
ed as this there will result cure for
all these Ills But these things we
shall require:
What Commission Requires.
I) A new and simple method OF
stating rates by which one who is not
an expert in the reading of tariffs may
know what rate he should be charged.
(2) The tariffs must present but
one rate upon the same class of traf-
fic between any two points in the
United States served by the same car
rier. The rebates by indirection con-
cealed in the tariffs must be remov-
cd.
(3) There must be a new classifica-
ton of traffic in which the standard
or first class rate shall be that on
merchandise, and to which there shall
be one great class of exceptions-a
second class, as it were-consisting OF
articles of food and drink now carried
under the meaningless term of gen
eral specials" The rate for this lat
ter class should bear a relation In
percentage to the former. Our con-
cluslon Is that 10 per cent of merchan-
disc would yield fair and reasonable
rate. Other rates may be made TO
meet traffic needs and develop indus
try: but all such rates shall be based
on conditions of service and should
for convenience likewise be stated in
percentage of the merchandise scale.
ca The rules of the express COM
panies are too many and too inVoV-
ed. They need ever more drastic re-
vision than is herein suggested.
(5) The express carriers must unite
in direct through routes, reaching all
cities and towns accessible to each
other by the shortest route measured
this matter in the hands of the car
riers for the present, but will under
take to see that this principle is rec
ognized in the routing of express traf-
fic.
(6) There should be precise state
ment published and filed showing the
terminal service that Is given at local
stations.
co To avoid prosecutions for ille-
gal overcharges 1t Is essential that
double collections shall cease, and to
this end a system of labels Is herein
prescribed: A yellow label which
shows that the charges have been
paid: a white label when the charges
rave not been paid and If no label
is carried on the package 1t must be
delivered without charges and the err
ror later corrected.
(S) The standard merchandise