The Detroit times., 1914-07-21
PARCEL POST
HAS CUT DOWN
EXPRESS WORK
n Nine Months Operating In
come of All Companies In L..
S. Reduced Si.l Per Cent
.ONG HAULS SAVE THOSE
OF THE SOUTH AND WEST
Principal Concerns In the East
Show Big Deficits; As Re-
suit of L.. 5. Competition

WASHINGTON, July 20.-Ameri-
an express companies OF the larger
lie suffered a reduction VI S44 per
ent OF operating income during the
rst nine months OF the fiscal year
nding June 80. In dollars the reduc-
ion was from S3,793,63S to $5S9,74O,
loss OS S3,2O3 ,S9S In that list are
included the canadian express com.
)anies on account of tine business
hey do south OF the international
boundary line.
The period covers the operations Of
he now defunCt United States EX-
press Co. which, when II went out
bf business, attributed its going to
| he competition OF the parcel post
Ind the reductions made In express
rates by order OF the interstate com
|nerce commission, although before
either was a fact the business OF that
company had been decreasing.
These figures, prepared by the di-
Vision OF statistics of the interstate
commerce. commission, show that the
.southern and western lines com
|panies are the only ones able to keep
| but of the positive deficit column.
IThey are the ones that have the long
Ihauls I'm which the profits lie. Ex-
|press. in common with all other rail-
Road service rates. increase with dis
nance. but expenses do not. On an
express package from New York city
to Tarrytown the essential express
|expenses. that OF pickup and de-
livery. are the same as on a package
|carried from New York 10 San Fran
Cisco. Statisticians have figured that
1.-The expense accruing By reason OF
messenger riding in the car on the
long trip is hardly worth figuring on
La given package. The cost OF pick
ling MP and delivering counts.
That is believed 10 be the chief
reason why the Adams, American and
Globe show great reductions of their
Operating income, while the losses OF
the Western and Southern companies
we're not great enough TO force the
income account into the minus col
umn. although all suffered reductions
in comparison with the correspond
ing period OF the preceding fiscal
year.
The Adams company ran down its
operating income from Sl72296 to a
deficit OF 1861 765. OF which Sll6.329
was incurred during the month Of
March, 1914. During the niue-month
period the American fell from an OPP
Grating income Of S6S9,668 10 a deficit
OF 1907 sos. of which Si2S,4S6 was in
Cured during March OF this year.
An income from operations Of $780,
533 for the Canadian Express co. dur
ing that bad ninemonth period fell
20 s32425, while the Canadian North
ern suffered reduction from Sl49,-
459 to sl42.3O9
The Globe company operating in
come OF S2S.223 was wiped out and a
deficit OF $2099l took its place. The
Great Northern, owned and operated
BY the Great Northern railroad as n
branch OF its transportation system.
suffered a reduction in its operating
income from S194,67S TO $l44,270, and
kept so far away from a deficit that
n is one OF the shining exceptions In
the balance sheet The Southern. an
other Of the companies with profit
able long hauls, felt the pinch Of
competition and lower rates TO the eX-
tent OF a drop IN operating income
from S992,717 TO s64040i.
Standing next 20 the figures Of the
comparatively prosperous Southern
are those pertaining to the United
States. the pride OF the late Thorn
as Collier Platt 20 whose influence
through a long stretch OF years is at
tributed the blocking Of parcel post
legislation. That company had a de-