The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-07-20
EXPRESS Rates REDUCED.
Interstate Commerce Commission
Orders sweeping Reforms.

drastic reforms In regulations and
practices. and comprehensive changes
In the methods of operation. are pre-
scribed In a report by the Interstate
commerce commission of its investiga-
tion into the business Of the 1S great
express companies OF the United
States.
Dealing with the identity Of interest
between the various companies. the
report inds that. while these compa-
MES are separate legal entities. lit
Is OF interest TO regard this fact that
by stock ownership and otherwise they
are so interlaced. interwined and in
terlocked. that IL is with difficulty we
can trace any one OF the greater COM
panies as either wholly independent in
its management or the agency of
single railroad system. So that while
these companies operate separately
and compete with each other for traf-
fic. the express business may be said
to be almost family affair. An in
teresting genealogical tree. in fact.
might be drawn showing a common
ancestry in all Of the larger compa-
nies. And while many names may he
used to designate these companies. it
Is within the fact to say that. aside
from the operations Of the minor and
distinctlvely railroad companies. the
express business of the United States
L. 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. 1t was con-
Quoted and the report was prepared
by Commissioner Franklin X. Lane.
IL has been In progress for nearly
three years. The report itself makes
600 printed pages. IL involved an ex-
animation and comparison OF practi-
cally more than 600. 900 900 express
rates In effect In this country. in add
~tion TO an examination of millions OF
,rwsy bills anu an investigated.
through the books of the companies
OF their financial operations and bust
ness methods.
commissioner Lane Is of opinion
that the conclusions reached consti-
tute a long step towards the solution
OF the gravest problem of the Amerl-
can householder. the high cost of llv-
ing
The greatest reduction of rates
probably Is on small packages--that
is. on parcels which weigh less than
IL pounds. Rates on packages of
more than IL pounds were found to
be more reasonable than those on
smaller parcels.
Briefly stated. the new rates may
be said To be based upon mini
mum charge Of 21 cents for a 1-pound
package. This charge increases i'm
ratio To the increase of weight and
distance. at the varying from three
tentbs OF a cent a pound To about II
cents a pound. Twelve cents pound.
according TO the conclusions Of the
commission. Is approximately the
highest rate per pound for the great
est distance possible for parcel to
he carried wholly within the United
States. exclusive of Alaska.
Packages Weighing two pounds. for
instance. may he shipped 1000 miles
New York city To Chicago-for %
cents; aud 1000 milcs--New York
city to Denver-for 81 cents, the pres
ent rates being. respectively. for each
3j cents. \ S-pound package will
cost 81 cents for 1000 miles and 81
cents for 1000 miles. the existing
rates being respectively. each 45 cents.
A 10-pOund package may be trans
ported 4 900 miles for ~ cents and
1000 miles for II cents. as against
the existing rates Of 10 cents and
sl.25, respectively. The cost Of trans
porting "a 25-pOund package 1000
miles will be 10 cents. against the
present rate of Sl.10. and for 1000
miles sl.6i. against the present rate
of s2.25.
Commissioners Lane believes that
the method adopted for the Computa-
ton and construction Of express rates
u scientific and Will result in the cxac-
ton Of entirely reasonable charges.
Through the decision announced TO-
day express rates are made that are
expected to open an avenue uf trade
between the producer 90 food cOmmo-
dities and the consumer bv distrihut-
Ing equitably Co the weight ana dis