Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1912-08-09
THE EXPRESS COMPANIES

THE EXPRESS COMPANIES
The end of the exploitation Of the
American people by the express COM
panies appears to be at hand. There
used to be four reasons why there
should be no parcels post in this coun-
try, and, as we remember them, they
were the American, the United States,
the Adams and the Wells-Fargo express
companies. It was an impudent kind Of
logic, and the wonder today is that the
four reasons paralyzed Congress for so
many years, says the Springfield Re-
publican.
The Taft administration came out for
a parcels post, and in the Chicago and
Baltimore platforms, adopted by the
republican and democratic parties re-
spectively, are planks declaring un-
reservpdly for the establishment Of a
parcels post service by the federal gov
eminent. Last winter there was a
strong movement in Congress to push
parcels post legislation; it subsidized,
but the obvious cause was the growing
prospect that, though the regulation OF
the express companies by the interstate
commerce commission, under powers
recently acquired by that body, the OBJ
jects aimed at by a parcels post could
be attained in another way. The "four
reasons'' suddenly grew humble; they
climbed down. They agreed to many of
the reforms in their business suggested
by the interstate cmmerce commission,
and in general withdrew opposition to
such Transformation Of the express
business as would save the life OF the
private companies.
The important report by the COM
mission on it's investigation Of the ex-
press companies and their operations,
published this week states the scope
in express rates which the commission
Of the reforms agreed upon and an
nounces also the sweeping reductions
has decided are reasonable. These re-
auctions in rates, averagi ting approx
mately Is per cent throughout the
country, are contested by, the COM
panies and hearings will be held by the
commission before the order for them
to 90 into effect will be issued. Some
time in the autumn, however, the
charges will be completed and the ex-
a radically altered basis.
The new principle to be applied will
be that express companies are public
utility, are more or less natural
monopoly. like the railroads., and
especially in their small package bust
ness are so much akin to the post-office
that the public interest compels gov
ernment regulation of their affairs. It
has been easy for Commissioner Lane,
who directed the investigation, to
prove that the express business Of
the United States has become "a fam
lily affair." in the sense that the lead
ing companies are interlocked and in
tertwinel inextricably, and are in turn
allied with the great railroad systems
the net result being a monopolistic
control from which the public have had
no sufficient protection. Rate making
has for many years proceeded on the
principle of charging what the traffic
competition as WAS offered by the post
office on the one hand and the railroad
freight train on the other.
Between these two extremes, the OK
press business has been developed on
tNturtionatr lines. particularly in the
business Of carrying packages weigh
H." ,t"~S tl"n - rn;;' l.. Rates. too. are
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