Omaha daily bee., 1912-07-15
FIFTEEN PER CENT AT LEAST
That Amount Appropriated to Be
Sliced OFF Charges.
OTHER REFORMS IN METHODS
Whole Plan Of Doing Business Will
Be Changed.
RESULT OF GREAT INQUIRY
Commissioner Lane Prepares Report
and Orders That Well Revo-
luti0nise the Express
Business.

WASHINGTON, July H-Sweeping re-
ductions In express rates averaging, in
general, approximately is per cent; dras-
tic reforms In regulations and practices:
and comprehensive changes in the meth
DDS OF operation. are prescribed in a re-
port made public today by the Interstate
Commerce Commission of its investigation
into the business of the thirteen great
express companies of the United States.
Dealing with tina identity Of interest
between the various companies. the re-
port finds that while these companies
are separate legal entities. ut Is of in
terest to regard the fact that by stock
ownership and otherwise they are SO in
terlaced. intertwined, and interlocked that
1t is with difficulty we can trace any
one of the greater companies as either
wholly independent, In It's management
or the agency Of single railroad sys-
tenn. So that while these companies
operate separately and complete with
each other for traffic. the express busi-
ness may be said to be almost q family
affair. An interesting genealogical tree
I'm fact, might be drawn showing o.
common ancestry In all of the larger
companies. And. while many names
may be used to designate these COM
panies, 1t is within the fact to say that
aside from the operation Of the minor
and distincively railroad express COM
panies, the express business of the
United States Is managed by not more
than three groups OF interests
The inquiry was the most extensive,
and. in wealth Of infinite detail, prob
ably the most thorough. ever prose-
cuted by the commission. It was con-
Quoted and the report was prepared by
Commissioner Franklin X. Lane. N has
been In progress for nearly three years.
The report itself makes GOO printed pages.
1t involved an examination and COM
parison Of practically more than 6O0,000,-
900 express rates in effect In this coun-
try. in addition to an examination OF
miilaons Of waybills and an invastiga-
tom through thu books Of tina corn
.pafles, Of their financial operation and
business methods,
Commissioner Lane is OF the opinion
that the conclusions reached constitute
a long step toward the solution Of that
gravest problem of the American house,
holder, the high cost Of living
The greatest reduction OF rates pro-
posed Is on small packages-that is ON
parcels which weigh less than twelve
pounds. Rates on packages of more than
twelve pounds were found to be more
reasonable than those on smaller parcels.
Briefly stated the new rates may be
said to be based upon minimum charge
OF u cents for one-pound package.
This charge increases in ratio to tina
Increase of weight and distance. at rates
varying from three-tenths of a cent to
about u cents pound. Twelve cents
a pound. according to the conclusions
OF the. commission, is approximately the
highest rate per pound for the greatest
distance possible for a parcel to be car
ried wholly within the United States.
exclusive of Alaska.
Packages Weighing two pounds, for
instance. may be shipped 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 re-
spectively. for each IS cents. A three
pound package will cost 27 cents for
l0Oo miles and 81 cents for 2.0Oo miles,
the existing rates being, respectively.
each 45 cents. A ten-pound package may
be transported 1000 miles for 42 cents
and 2,0O0 miles for n cents. as against
the existing rates Of rs cents and N.2,
respectively. The cost Of transporting
a twenty-five-pound package LOCO miles
will be 76 cents against the present rate
of N.10, and for 1000 miles sl.s4 against
the present rate of s2.25.
The charges Of the express companies
now In many instances, are the same for
fifty pounds as for 100 pounds, between
the same points; and In some instances
they are as much for thirty pounds as
for 100 pounds. Under such system the
householder is compelled to pay as much
for ten-pound package as dealer
would pay for twenty-five-pound pack
age, and three or four times as much as
the dealer would pay for ten pounds in
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