Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1914-05-08
FRIDAY, MAY 8, 1914.
HOW THE AMERICAN EXPRESS
is HOLDING UP VERMONT.
From the Burlington Free Press

When bandit holds up an express
car in the South and West forcibly TAX
es possession of SIS, 600, we bewail such
lawlessness and consciously or other
wise exult in the capture of the offender
by an armed posse. When a big boy
grabs little fellow with dime in his
pocket and takes the money from him,
you despise him as a bully.
When the. American Express COM
pany, having capital of $18, 900, 600 and
a surplus of 500, 900, 900, refuses to pay
the accustomed license tax of only $50
to the people of the State of Vermont,
which means not so much money as reg
ulation by the peoples representatives,
with very little penalty for violation of
the law, you have a great big concern
holding up little State and defying its
public servants to do their worst.
When this same company in addition re-
fuses to comply with various other
regulations and gives notice that it pro-
poses not to pay its mileage tax of
SIS, 1920 next October, you approach
nearer the bandit taking SIS, 900 forcibly
from an express car, because temper
arily he has the power to do it.
The American Express cympany has
been holding up the public so long that
it seems to have acquired marked pro-
pensity in this direction. You have
undoubtedly noticed evidences of it's
previous operations in the direction in
the fosters carried by express wagons
for considerable period recently call
ing attention to the appreciate reduc-
ton to express rates.
This reduction by the American Ex-
press company and its subsidiary COM
pany is the more noteworthy in view of
the fact that most other concerns have
been calling for increased rates owing
to the high cost of living and doing bust
ness, proving conclusively that they
were eXacting more from the public
service than was actually needed though
high rates were necessary to make
''melon" cutting possible.
American Express company retain the
National Express organizations after it
had acquired over 484, 900 of the latter S
5O0,0 600 shares. If you have ever rid
den across Massachusetts by trolley,
you noticed that once in so often you
paid fare though the same car con-
tinued, under apparently the same
management.
The maintenance of such separate
organization made possible a double
charge, where otherwise there would
necessarily have been but one charge,
each company taking its slice in divided
territory.
With the advent of the postal package
service the business of the American
and other express companies has natur.
ally been materially reduced, so that il
is not only living on a reduced rate but
also on a reduced rate on a diminished
business as rule. This gives US some
idea of what its profits must have beer
at one time, as further irdicated by {
surplus larger than its original capital
izaton of SlS 00O,O
The claim of the American EXPIRES.
company as to its status differs in var
ious States. In Vermont it claims to b'
a voluntary association of Individual
in the nature of a partnership, organized
under articles of association which de
rive their force from the common Law
right of contract"
Somehow or other the American Elk
press company has shares listed on tn,
New York Stock Exchange, as alread,
noted, and the New York Central rail
road, for example. has $4,000, 900 worth
If the American Express company i
simply partnership, then the New
York Central railroad, a corporation, a
one of the partners is doing an expires
business in Vermont under anothe
name.
If taxes and State regulations can b
lodged by subterfuges like this, afte
having observed the same for a numbe
of years, then all foreign corporation
wanting to do business in Vermont i
spite of US need to do is to organize
similar partnership with long def
milton and claim to be superior to Ver
mont regulations and taxes.
The policing of Vermont so that W
escape wholly the bandit holdups eX
press companies experience in othe
parts of the country and our courts an
other agencies of law and order an
justice, cost nothing in the eyes of tn
express company and apparently jus
happen. They are willing to hold us u