Evening star., 1912-07-15

Reductions in express rates averaging
Is per cent for the entire country, the
elimination of roundabout hauls which
increase the cost of shipments, the di-
vision of the entire country into COM
mon-rate blocks fifty miles square, and
far-reaching changes in the methods of
operation of the express companies of
the United States are among the orders
contained In the report of the interstate
commerce commission following it's in
vestigation of the express companies
The part of the report that is of most
importance to the average individual or
family is that which requires the low
ering of rates on small packages. In the
report Commissioner Lane expresses the
belief that this reduction will work ma
terial relief from the high cost Of living
by reason of putting the producer and the
consumer in closer touch and eliminating
the tendency Of the express companies
to favor the middleman at the expense Of
the man who buys.
Dealing with the community, or iden-
tity. of interest existing between the ex-
press companies, the report finds that,
while these companies are separate legal
entities, lit Is interesting to regard the
fact that by stock ownership and other
and interlocked that it Is with difficulty
that we can trace any one Of the greater
companies as either wholly Independent
in it's management or the agency Of q
these companies operate separately and
compete with each other for traffic, the
express business may be said to be al
most a family affair. An interesting
genealogical tree. in fact, m1ght be drawn.
showing q common ancestry in all of
ha nd
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
United States is managed by not more
than three groups of interests"
Cut on Small Packages.
The most marked reduction ordered is
on packages weighing less than twelve
pounds. Rates on packages OF more than
twelve pounds weight, it was found, are
more reasonable than those on the small
er shipments.
The new rates are based on a minimum
charge of 81 cents for a one-pound parcel.
this charge increasing in proportion to
the increase in weight and distance car
ried. at rates varying from $40 of a cent
pound to about II cents pound For
packages over one pound, IL cents q
pound, according to the conclusions OF
the commission is about the highest
pound rate for the greatest distance pos
sible for a parcel to be carried wholly
within the United States. exclusive OF
Alaska.
For instance, a parcel weighing two
pounds may be shipped 1000 miles. or
Increasing the distance to 1900 miles, or
approximately the distance from New
York to Denver, the rate for two-pound
parcel should not be more than 81 cents.
A three-pound package will cost p cents
for LOCO mile haul. and 81 cents for
1900 miles. the present rate being 70
cents for either 1000 miles or 1900 miles.
A package weighing ten pounds may.
under the new rates, be shipped 1,tWO
miles for AZ cents, or 1900 miles for Y
81 .25, respectively. To send a twenty fve-
pound package 1000 miles will cost IS
cents while to send 1t 1900 miles the cost
will be $164. AT present the rates lor
package are $1.1O and $225, respectively.
Thinks Method Scientific.
Commissioner Lane believes that the
method adopted for tho computation and
construction of express rates Is scientific.
and will result in the exaction of entirely
reasonable charges. Through the decision
rates are made that are expected to open
an avenue of trade between the producer
of food commodities and the consumer by
distributing equitably to the weight and
distance the burden Of the cost Of trans
portation.. At present that burden Is
borne chiefly by the parcels Of light
weight. BY the decision the small pack
age will bear no greater share. per pound,
Of the cost OF transportation than the
heavy package. and every package weigh
ing less than 100 pounds will bear the
same amount of terminal expense.
The report shows that more than
300 coo, GOO parcels are handled annually
by the express companies in the United
States. The average household OF FIVE
persons in this country either sends or re-
ceives by express In the course OF q year
from eight to ten packages. The aver