The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-07-15
This Believed to Be Ulti- mate Outcome of Inter state Commerce Com :
 missions Decision i DRASTIC CUT IN RATES ]. ORDERED BY. COMMISSION Views of Public. Men Who Consider the Decision Set ties Vexed Economic
 Problem
 Sweeping Decreases and New Zone System Order ed Apply to Small Pack
 ages Mostly 7

Washington, Judy <15-Faced with the interstate commerce commission's flat ultimatum that they must prove that their service is necessary to the pulp lie, the express. companies today be- gan preparations here to fight the drastic reductions in their rates and the sweeping changes in their methods of doing business ordered by the com mission.
 After three years investigation, the commission has drawn up a startling indictment of the express business. Commissioner Lanes decision, made public today, declared:
 The test of The express company as public utility is at hand; certain 7ly it is not deniable that the express company has to no slight degree lost the confidence of the people it serves and is regarded now as only upon pro- bation.''
 The commission ordered an average reduction i'm rates of f5 per Cent azd the installation of a 50 mile b1oclf fsSss- tenn Of; changes covering the Whole country. The maximum charge per bloex was fixed at 12 cents, the tariffs increasiiig in exact proportion to the weight, and distance. An entirely
 
 routing, way billing, etc., was formu- lated.
 The. opinion was expressed here to- day by men familiar with the express problem, that it might take a year to reach satisfactory solution of the problem of readjustment.
 The declaration in Comfnissioner Lanes report that this business was in the hands of a group of three financial interests" and that "the ex- press business may be said to be all most a family affair."" served today to revive interest in Congress in the plan to establish government owner ship of express companies by con- demnihg them.
 : Congressmen who read the report to- day said that the statement of Com missioner Lane that capitalization of the companf was in many eases ''mythical' and that their physical valuation was most uncertain, would make excellent material in a crusade for fedemal ownership.
 Advocates of a zone system of par cels post were highly pleased with the report. They said that the commits sion's figures, showed without a. doubt that the express companies had been heavily overcharging shippers of small bundles and they voiced their belief that, it was time for the government tO SIOp bnO dpuSOkOy Lhn11A5 ONOA 'bAAN business itself.
 The Senate is expected shortly to pass Senator Bourne's zone parcels post bill. One effect of the express report today is expected. to be that the House will readily agree to put into operation this year some form of government parcels post instead of waiting until next year as has been the plan to date.
 i 'tGovernment ownership of express companies is an imperative necessity as shown by the commissions ruling, said Representative Lewis, 'Dem., Md), co-author of the Cooke bill, to this end
 1.-The commissions order is an argu- ment for the bill but the order does not reach the farmers and cannot be made to do so. Tn any event it will probably be held up for years in the courts.
 ..The relation of express, companies to their traffic is purely parasetic and regulations cannot be made to secure relief There is but one remedy for human or transportation parasites and that is to eliminate them entire ly"