Finally, there are the hosts of miscellaneous items of operating
expenses in which we must be led to expect saving by all other
experience in consolidating similar agencies performing similar
services. Some of these expenses might even be eliminated entirely under
Government ownership and control. Such are the cost of superintendence
and auditing, insurance, the cost of securing traffic commissions,
advertising and law expenses, to say nothing of the profits paid
stockholders in normal years.
The amount of these savings can only be roughly surmised; but in 1912,
Mr. David J. Lewis estimated that they would amount to at least 40% of
the total operating expenses. In this connection, it may be remarked in
passing that Mr. Lewis's qualifications for throwing light upon the
express service problem include not only theoretical knowledge gained by
years of study of the problem, both here and abroad; but also practical
knowledge of ways and means, as attested by general belief that the
establishment of a parcel-post in the United States was due to his
analyses more than to the efforts of any other one man; and also by the
fact that when the Government in 1918 assumed responsibility for the
management of the telephone and telegraph systems of the land, Mr. Lewis
was made, and at the time of writing is, the general manager in charge
of those systems while under Government control. Certainly, in view of
the economies enumerated above as inherent in Government ownership and
control of the express companies, on the face of it Mr. Lewis's
statement seems extremely reasonable.