Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1913-03-14
OUR EXPRESS BUSINESS
Desert News.

cOnsniSss1 sneTs OF irterFate comm erc'
now selected for the position Of Score
tary Of the Interior. makes the inter
esting statement tsat since the Ciwl
War no express company has been
forced into bankruptcy. The revenue
receaYed from transportation Of ex-
press By the railroads from 1898 10 1914
increased more than ia per cent
freight revenue in the same time IN -
creased l32 per cent. passenger revenue
Increased iOs per cent. and mail reve-
nue. u per cent.
This branch Of the railroad business
mas been conducted practically with
out reg ulation for half a century so
large Is II as whole that the add
tl0nai charge Of one cent per package
would yield the companies additional
revenues amounting 70 50 900, 900 per
year yet neither shippers nor express
men know the express rates Of the
country. Not even experts can BE- GER
tain tisit the rates 1ey quote are the
lawful rates. because Of the numerous
conflicting rules, routes and scales II
Il therefore not 70 be wondered at that
the exDrsss companies have partially
lost tho confidence Of the people they
serve Mr.. Lime says that there are
some $4,000 eNDress stations In the
United States and the complicated
methods required over six hundred
million statements Of rates TO cover
them Tue ordinary express agent Is
often una Bile To find tire correct rate
With files Of al the tariffs Of all the
express companies at hand the trained
clerks Of the Commd ssLos find IL difficult
u determine the legal rates applicable |
% shipmeats mDrns between two /
points. especially when there are sew
eral possible routes and transfers. He
thinks Is smas wsnder that many over
charges and under charges and dis
result. The loss Of time.
the loss OF revenue. the lack OF eff 4
rciehcy resulting from the present sys-
tenn are lscalcula bic. in addition to all
" the causes FOR complaint which have
The Interstate Commerce Commission
propose TO substitute for these six
hundred mallion rates a system based
upon division Of the country into 95s
blocks, each block the square formed
~ one degree of latitude and longi-
ude. Thus:
Tfach block wild be numbered and
he tens in the numbers Indicate the
Tine and the hundreds
Indicate the horizontal ane in ~siicts
he block is 70 be found For example ]
I2i is at the crossing OF the seven
zenith horizontal and twenty fourth
perpendicular lines Of blocks We pro-
ose 20 require that the carriers pub
A schedules to apply from each bdocio
, every other block. 50 that AN agent
'cated in any block need only to Nnd
which block a point q designation &
blocked to turn at once TO his scheC-
ie. reduced from six hundred million
$50 statements OF rates to learn ex- p
u tariff to the piont desired
The Commission has discovered that
hide from the operation Of smaller.
stincuvely railroad companies, the
Ipress business Of the entire country
managed by not more than three
pups OF interests The great com
miles are separate legal entbaes, but
cir stock membership is lnterlocked.
18th difficulty could the Commission
ace any one Of the companies as
tier wholly independent in it's man
emend or as the agency Of a single
iiroad system.
Yet there are thirteen express com
MES doing business in the United
ates; and under the Hepburn act Of
'6- 1906. they are subject to regulation
the Interstate Commerce Commits
m These companies operated over |
.0i3 miles Of steam railway in this
intIy. over 66s5 miles Of electric |
es They paid 10 carriers for trans
'tation $50, 730.Ss5. and their own ex
lses, 81 far as could be ascertained. 1
sdng out Of their immediate func
ms as express companies. amounted
set3O $40
Me companies operate separately and i
IN 10 compete vi th one another; but
country was parceed out among
great members as a sort of family |
air Express companies exist only ]
the United states and the govern
ne IS az length seeking to learn. and /
exercise supervision over. the vast
inesS which they conduct.
ureiy this attitude of the Secretary l~n
the Interior can not be regarded as
any sense reactionary.