Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-07-18
REDUCED EXPRESS CHARGES
PRESCRIBED BY THE |. G.. C..
Business of 13 Great Companies Exhaustively
Investigated and Significant Findings Are
Presented in Voluminous Report.

eral, approximately 10 per cent. drastic
! reforms in regulations and practices, and
| comprehensive changes in the methods of
| operation, are prescribed in a report
made public to-day by the interstate COM
merce commission of its investigation into
| the business of the 10 great express COM
panies of the United States.
Dealing with the identity of interest
! between the various companies. the re-
port finds that while these companies are
( separate legal entities, at is of interest
! to regard this fact. that by stock owner
ship and otherwise they are 50 interlaccd.
iEtcrtwined. and interlocked that it is
with difficulty we can trace any one of
the greater companies as either wholly
independent in its management or the
agency of a single railroad system. SO
| that while these companies operate separ-
| atcly and compete with each other for
traffic, the express business may be said
to be almost a family affair. An inter-
esting genealogical tree, in fact, might
| be drawn showing common ancestry in
all of the larger companies. And while
many names may be used to designate
| these companies. it is within the fact to
say that aside from the operations of the
minor and distinctively railroad express
companies, the express business Of the
| nited states is managed by not more
! than three groups of interests"
| MOST THOROUGH INVESTIGATION
The inquiry was the most extensive.
and. in wealth of infinite detail, probably
the most thorough. ever prosecuted by the
/ commission. 1t was conducted and the
report was prepared by Commissioner
= N Il : hus. tn,
for nearly three years. The report itself
makes 800 printed pages. 1t involved an
examination an1 comparison of practical
lily more than G0D.0cor) express rates in
effect in this country, in addition to an
examination of millions of waybils and
an investigation, through the books of
| the companies, of their financial opera
! tons and business methods.
| Commissioner Lane lis of opinion that
the conclusions reached constitute a long
step towards the solution of that gravest
problem of the American householder, the
high cost of living.
| The greatest reduction of rates pro-
posed is on small packages that is on
parcels which weigh less than l. pounds
Rates on packages of more than IL
/ pounds were found to be more reasonable
than those on smaller parcels.
BASED ON 81 CENTS \ POUND.
Briefly stated the new rates may be
said to he based upon minimum
charge of II cents for a one-pound
| package, This charge increases in
ratio to the increase of weight and
! distance. at rates varying from three
tenths of a cent a pound to about IL
cents a pound. Twelve cents a pound
according to the conclusions of the
commission is approximately the
! highest rate per pound for the great
est distance possible for a parcel to
he carried wholly within the United
states, exclusive of Alaska.
Packages weighing two pounds. for
! instance, may be shippe 1000 miles,
| New York city to Chicago. for "A
! cents: and 1000 miles. New York city
! to Denver. for 81 cents. the present
! rates being respectively for each 81
cents. a three pound package Will
! cost - cents for 1000 miles and 81
cents for 1000 miles, the existing
rates beng. respectively, each -
| cents \ l0-poun1 package may be
| TRANSPORTED 900 miles for AZ cents
and 2.o0o miles for - cents as against
| the existing rates OF - cents ana
| s125. respectively. The cost of trans
! porting -'-P'u"" 40
miles will be &c cents against the
| present r"te VI Fi'iV, "''' .a
I miles Silva against '"V
of $225.
BELIEVES RATES SCIENTIFIC.
| Commissioner Lane believes that the
method adopted for the computation
and construction of express rates is
sciortioc md will result in the exac-
,ior NJ enttro,v reasonable charges.
Through the decision announced to-
do,. oxnroes ro,os are made that are
axpected to omen an avenue of trade
hotwoor tho nroduc.r of food COM
roditics and the consumer by dis
tributjnr eoultablv to the weight and
distance the burden of the cost of
TRANSFORMATION At present that bur
den il borno chjenv nv the parcels of
I1,oht weight p, Commissioner Lanes
decision tho small nackage VIII bear
no greater share per pound. of the
cost of transformation than the heavy
package and every na,llage weighing
less than 100 mounds viii bear the
same amount of terminal expense.
The chorros of the cxpress COM
pauies now. I'm many Instances, are
the same for 20 mounds as for 100
pounds. b,tweon the Same points: and
in some instances they are as much
for so pounds as for 100 pounds. I'm
der such n svstem tho householder IS
compelled to nav as much for a 10
pound package as a dealer would pay
for a 25-pound package. ard three or
foui times as much as the dealer