The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1912-07-26
LEVI HOLDS ON TO PARCELS
POST.
Congressman Says Express Rate
Cut Will Help Fight.

SuG w III LIGL " L 1S 11Gs
The 80 per cent. reduction by deci-
sion of the Interstate Commerce Com
mission on small packages will not check
the fight "for a postal express or genuine
parcels post" now being waged in Con-
gress.
What the country needs and must
have is system of transportation for The
small shipment that will start where the
poStOttice now stops at cents for the
letter and with rates or charges graduated
from a half pound up TO 100 pounds,
where the railroad minimum starts. And
these charges should be proportionate to
the size and weight of the shipment from
the bottom to the top.
The lowest rate provided by the de-
Cision of.the commission as stated is 81
cents for pound package the shortest
distance, while 100 pounds are carried
the shortest distance for IS cents. The
gap is still left open between the letter
and the small shipment of one or Is
pounds, except as covered by rates which
are nearly prohibitive. 1t costs the Gov
ernment only a cent and half to handle
the average mail piece. 1t can handle
the average pound certainly for 7 cents,
and give rates graduated to the size of
the shipment and the comparative service
| rendered and all the way up to 100
pounds.
The trnth is that the whole theory of
regulation applied to normal transporta-
| ton agencies is inapplcable to the ex.
press companies because they are para
| sites in transportation. While the profits
average 100 per cent. on the actual in
| vestment the percentage of their profits
10 their rates was s. 70 per cent last wear.
Their rates are shown to be at least twice
the normal but the percentage Of the
rates which is profit is too small a mar
| gin upon which the regulator can work
with normal transportation agencies
| like the railway, the condition is wholly
| different A small reduction NAV bring
the express company deficit; and it is
on this ground that nearly every effort
| made by the State commissions to reduce
express rates have been struck down by
the courts In human as well as
in transportation therapeutics there is but
one thing to do with parasite and that
is to eliminate it entirely from the svs-
tenn"
Mr.. Lewis concludes with statement
| that the statement brings to light two
decision
| has fatal weakness in that 1t does not
provide direct service between the farm
and kitchen, a service that would re.
duce the cost of living and that the pro-
posed minimum rate of 2I cents a pound
for one pound packages is just IS cents
| higher than the same rate in England
were statements made by Congressman
| David J. Lewis, of Maryland. father OF the
| postal express" movement in Congress
and recognized authority on all express
and parcels post subjects.
Mr.. Lewis makes it plain that he does
not see many permanent benefits from
| the express rate decision. He is EN-.
! phatic that the decision will help the
fight for modern parcels post or pos
tai express system in Congress until it is
won. 'lf the decision Of the commission
is 10 be regarded as a blow to the ex-
press companies it may be said to be
| drastic and bold in many respects, " said
Mr.. Lewis. ut throws out of the win
dow the rate systems of the IA express
companies and condemns nearly all Of
their operative activities.
IF the decision is to be regarded as
measure of relief for the small shipment
and small shipper then it is accompanied
with two fundamental shortcomings,
that, unfortunately, render It nearly use
less for the relief Of such shippers.
First, it provides no means by which
the express service can be made to move
the necessaries from the farm to the
kitchen, to the consumer direct to the
first purchaser. instead of third and
fourth, thus reducing the high cost of
such articles. Without such direct trans
portation the high cost of living problem
in these necessities remains untouched.
Second 1t leaves the deadly minimum
rate practically unchanged The rs cent
minimum charge of the express company,
that ought to have been from to u
cents as in other countries, is only reduc-
ed to 81 cents, and probably 2oo, 600, 900
small shipments that could pay from 6 to
10 cents each, constituting the potential
traffic in this respect, will be prevented
from moving this 81 cent rate. The En-
gish railroads conducting their own ex-
press companies have rates graduated
down to cents for the first two pounds,
while the minimum rate of TIE commits
sion is 81 cents for the first pound. "