Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-03-11
COMMISSIONER THoRNE SEES
RADICAL CHANGES IN BUSINESS
METHODS IN NEAR FUTURE.
INCREASE IN BUSINESS
IN RECENT YEARS ENORMOUS
Thorne Believes That Within Ter
Years Government Will es upsrat-
ing Limited Express System, While
Railroads Themselves Will Take Over
Balance Of Business.
Special to Times-Republican.

u
Thorne, who has just returned from
attending the express rate hearings in
Washington, is convinced that a change
is inevitable in the manner Of hand
ling much of the express business of
the country, and that the interstate
commerce commission inquiry will be a
step in the direction.
"One day last week." he said on his
return, Mr.. Frank Lyon, attorney for
the interstate commerce commission,
invited me to lunch with him at the
New Ebbitt hotel in Washington, an
old fashioned hostelry, famous during
civil war times. Mr.. Lyon told me sew
eral interesting facts in regard to the
pending investigation of the express
business of which he has charge on
behalf of the public. He is keen far
sighted, broad-mindod young man, who
is rendering a great service to the
country
1.-The interstate commerce commits
sion selected at random two days OF
last year, and it has made, thru large
corps of assistants, an exhaustive in
vestigation of the express business
thruout the country for these two
days. 1t has cost almost 100000 to
perform this task.
zone fact significant for Iowa de-
veloped by the investigation is that the
express companies share Of the earn
ings is about 80 cents for each package
handled * interstate traffic and about
Is cents on each article of interstate
traffic handled. The balance goes to
the railroads for transportation.
1.-The vast bulk of all the costs in
CURED by the express companies is at
the terminals. 1t would therefore seem
that they are willing to perform the
same work, practically. on traffic be-
tween two points locally within state
for one-half Of what they charge for
substantially the same service on in
terstate traffic.
Increase in Business Enormous.
"Mr. Lyon compiled chart which H.
Illustrates one somewhat interesting
phase of public business. Since 1898
the increase in that portion of the
revenue from the express business go
ing to our roailroads has averaged for
every man, woman and child in the
country los per cent. The increase in
been 6S per cent. The increase in the
amount of passenger fares paid by
each individual has been 81 per cent.
The increase in the mail costs per unit
of population has been only "a cents
Notwithstanding the many sarcastic
comments about the business ability OF
Uncle Sam, we see he has been able
to keep the mail charges down better
than the shippers and business men
Of the country have kept down the
freight, passenger and express charges
Personally do not favor govern
ment ownership at this time. The
great problem of today is to devise an
intelligent. just and efficient system of
regulation for big business. The best
thought Of our generation favors CIV
ing to public regulation a fair trial.
If were given to prophesy should
say that within ten years a small por-
ton OF the present express business
Of the country will be conducted by the
government as sort Of postal express,
while substantially all the business
Of most of the express companies in
the United States will be carried on by
the railroads. This is about the only
civilized nation on the globe where the
traffic today.
These results will be fastened If it
should happen that the interstate COM
merce commission makes substantial
reduction in express charges thruout
the country at the conclusion of the
investigation now pending"