186 THE HIGH COST OF LIVING 



the ground if the favoiitisni, the struggle for long- 

 haul traffic, but most of all if the profits from in- 

 terlocking industries were ended and the food and 

 industrial wealth of the country were free to move 

 unimpeded from producer to market. 



There is a possible alternative to complete gov- 

 ernment ownership that avoids many of its alleged 

 evils but secures many of its advantages. It offers 

 a simple means of relief to some of the conditions 

 referred to. And that is through the expansion of 

 the parcel-post system into an express and fast- 

 freight service. This involves an act of Congress 

 or an executive order from the postmaster-general, 

 enlarging the limits as to the size and weight of 

 packages and the kind of freight that can be trans- 

 ported, and the extension of authority to the post- 

 office to enter the transportation business. 



This proposal could be quickly set in motion. It 

 could be made operative in a few months' time. 

 There exist in the United States a large number of 

 private car companies and fast-freight lines which 

 own about 225,000 cars. They maintain offices, 

 solicit freight, and perform a vast freight business 

 midway between the express companies and the rail- 

 roads. They have haulage contracts with the rail- 

 roads similar to those of the express companies. 

 There are thousands of refrigerator-cars owned by 

 the packing-houses, and flat-cars and coal-cars 

 owned by private coal corporations. 



