El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-07-15

express companies and shipPS ~ -
why the rates prescribed DS ct e.
mission should not 90 INTO - of
On every question except -.
rafes a sI,bsfaDtiaI agreement mas
been reached between the coIlIiIIsSIOii
and the companies the ldl's 81 - ~
their willingness to conform ne! .St4-
mess oDerations to any requirements
+be connoisSion might make; but they
expressed anxiety concerning any 50
riOus reduction of their rates lest II
might seriously affect their revenues
Commissioner Lane makes VlSor-
c,,s attack in his report, upon the So
called scale OF graduated charges Dy
,~bicb the express companies now de-
termine the rate which snail Apply 70
q package of given weight rms scale
is held by the commission to he IN
reasonable, discriminatory and arDi-
trary. The report says:
-It is the product of years of shrewd
manipulation, has no justification IN
the minds of the express men them-
eeIves and is the richest example yet
broupht to our attention of a tariff
based exclusively upon the theory tnat
the charge should be what the tratflc
will bear"
rates. the commissioner says:
The commissioners Conclusions.
What then may be said to be the
standard of a reasonable express rate!
Our answer is, no one consideration.
These conclusions, however, we nave
- That express rates should be
made primarily to meet the need OF
the great body of our people and
should, therefore, be stated IN terms
that represent the small packages
Which the express company is intended
to carry rather than by the 100 pounds
as freight rates are stated
90. That in the fixing OF its rates
an express company should not De
allowed to charge more tha an, a ran ran
road company if the latter undertook
to and did, give the same service
90 That it is proper for the gov
eminent to treat the express company
as a freight fOrwarder by passenger
train. giving supplemental service at
eacf, terminal and intermediate care
Il That an express rate may not be
based upon the monopoly right OF the
express company to be the exclusive
freight forwarder over one or more
lines of railroad
* That the rate should not include
more than a reasonable compensation
for the service given, even though
sucb COMPENSATION falls below that
which the railroad eXacts as mini
mum for the carriage of 100 pounds OF
Sc That it is unreasonable to fix
so rapid a decline in express rates
for long distances as is made by the
railroads in their freight rates, eX-
more analogous to passenger than to
freight service
- That in compromising the eX-
press rates the railroad should be al
lowed compensation for bulked freight
moved upon d passenger train as TO
which it is relieved by contract for all
liability for loss or damage and is
without expense for the furnishing OF
a receipt. the billing, the bookkeeping
and a great number of other general
expenses.
IS That the rate should include a
return to the express company Whlcn
will compensate il with profit for the
expense of the service which it gives,
there being added thereto in the for
nation of the total rate the proper
charge which it may reasonably make
for the service which the railroad gives
as stated in the preceding paragraph
After the hearing next October q
supplementary order will be entered by
the commission, putting into effect the
rates proposed as soon rs II may DC
considered practicable to make them
effective