Newspapers / The Enterprise (Williamston, N.C.) / Jan. 3, 1913, edition 1 / Page 7
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HOW PARCEL POST - RATESJRE FIXED Charges Are Regulated Under the Zone System. BIG ENTERPRISE LAUNCHED Eleven Pounds I* the Limit In Weight for a B!ngle Package— Anything That Will Not In- Jure Other Mall Can Be Bent By EDWARD B. CLARK. With the coming of the New Year the United States government will en ter Into a new field of enterprise— the transmittal of merchandise by what is known as the parcel post. For years there has been a demand for such a system of Inexpensive transmittal of packages. The camps of favor and disfavor of the parcel post scheme have been about equally divided. Finally at the last session of congress a bill was passed which will put the plan into operation, but only it must be said in little more than an experimental way. It is the intention of Uncle Sam to move rather slowly in the parcel post matter. He wants to find how popu lar it will be, how much It will cost the government, and whether there is > to be a profit or loss at the end of each year. If It is found that the plan is successful from the point of view of the people, which means the government also, the parcel post will bo extended until finally it reaches the proportions which its proponents say they believe it is destined to as sume. Zone Bystem Explained. It Is no exaggeration to say that thousands upon thousands of inquir ies have been made of the postmaster general as to Just what the parcel post will mean to the people. It'was the law of congress establishing the system which made provision for a division of the country into zones and into 35,000 units which are to be used as centers in describing the cir cles which mark the boundaries of the zones. There has been no clear understanding, apparently, of this zone system, but really it is a very simple matter. The accompanying map shows the country divided Into zones from the j unit In which Washington is sit uated, as the center. Accompanying j the map is a table showing the rate of postage per pound for parcels from Washington to places within all the zones. Each unit contains an area thirty miles square. Now each unit is a center from which the zones are drawn and so every unit in the coun try no matter where it is situated will have zones drawn from It Just exactly as Washington has them drawn from It. For instance, take Keokuk, la., which Is In a unit In the fifth zone. From that will be drawn circles ex actly as they are drawn from Wash ington and they will be numbered from Keokuk as number one. Just as they are numbered from Washington as number one. Of course, however, Zone Six will have a different geo graphical position as related to Keo kuk than it has as related to Wash ington. but as the radius of the circlet drawn from Keokuk la the aame length as the radlua of the circles drawn from Washington, Keokuk's Zone Six will be Just as far from it* center as Washington'! Zone Blx is. How Rates Are Plxed. It can be seen from this readily enough that the .postal rates from Washington to Its particular zone will be the same as the postal rates from Keokuk to Its particular zones. Each unit being about thirty miles square will of course contain In most cases a number of postofflces, but each office in the same unit Is considered as be ing the center of the circles from which the zones are drawn. The rates of postage are fixed from the unit In which the sending postofflce la situated, but the price to every place In any zone is Just the same. To Il lustrate, It will cost exactly the same amount to send a parcel from Wash • ington to Erie, Pa., that It costs to send It to Atlanta, Ga., because Erie an* Atlanta with reference to Wash- Intion are situated In the fourth zone. The rates therefore are fixed from the unit in which the postofflce Is located, but they are the same from that office to any point in any one zone. It "will be seen by reference to the table of rates of postage that It will cost more per pound to send a pack age a long distance than it does to send it a short distance. The rate in creases for a package weighing one pound at the rate of one cent for each zone. No package weighing more than 11 pounds can be sent un der the new parcel post law. It should be said right here that on the long hauls the parcel post may not be able to compete with the express companies, but that on shorter hauls it can so compete. It was the ex pressed desire of the legislators and of the postofflce officials that the par cel post system should be made of particular use to persons having farm and factory products to transmit to customers. It is probable that pro ducers must study the rates of post age and the convenience of trans mittal and compare them with the cost and convenience under present methods before individually a man can determine whether he Is to profit or not by the change. Then there is an other thing to be considered and which only can be known definitely when fuller regulations have been made to specify exactly what kind of things can be by parcel.post. It can be said In a general way that any thing can be seify which is properly wrapped and which will not injure other mall matter with which It may come in contact Copy Foreign Countries. It is probable that the government will adopt a means of transportation for certain kinds of its merchandise much like those which have been adopted in parcel post countries abroad. What the English call ham pers, basket-like arrangements, prob ably will be adopted, and as these can be kept separate from the ordinary mall matter It Is believed that the regulations as finally adopted will al low the sending of eggs, butter, dress ed poultry, live poultry, honey, fruit, and other products of the country. The 11-pound limit for a single pack age may work at first against any very extended use of the parcel post for some of the articles which have been named. Of course, more weight can be Bent If it is sent in different parcels, bit the cost in that case would be heavier because the lu crease per pound on a single package is not great up to 11 pounds, and probably it would Increase at no great er rate If the government were to raise the limit of weight which Is now fixed. To make It simpler. It will cost more to send two packages of 11 pounds than It would to send one package of 22 pounds If the govern ment eventually should allow a heavi er single package to be carried and should charge in proportion Just what it does now for one package of 11 pounds weight. Every postmaster In the United States will have a parcel post map like the one which Is here reproduced except that the zone lines will be shown with the unit of his postofflce as a center. All that a postmaster will have to do when a parcel is pre sented for transportation Is to find out in what zone the destination of the package lies. His table will show him instantly the rate per pound from RATES OF POSTAGE \ —— I Parcels weighing four ounces or less are mailable at the ratd • of one cent for each ounce or fraction of an ounce, regardless of | distance. Parcels weighing more than four ounces are mailable j at the pound rate,as shown by the following table, and when mailed j at this rate any fraction of a pound is considered a full pound. ♦lst zone 2d 3d 4th sth 6th 7th Bth Wt. Local Zone zone zone zone zone zone zone zone Lbs. . rate. rate. rate. rate, rate rate rate rate rate 1._.50.05 $0.05 $0.06 $0.07 SO.OB $0.09 SO.IO sO.ll $0.12 2... .06 .08 .10 .12 .14 .16 .19 .21 .24 3... .07 .11 .14 .17 .20 .23 .28 .31 .36 4... .08 .14 .18 .22 . .26 .30 .37 .41 .48 5... .09 .17 .22 .27 > .32 .37 .46 .51 .60 6... .10 .20 .26 .32 .38 .44 .55 .61 .72 7... .11 .23 .30 .37 .44 .51 .64 .71 .84 8... .12 .26 .34 .42 .50 .58 .73 .81 .96 9... .13 .29 .38 .47 .56 .65 .82 .91 1.08 10... .14 .32 .42 .52 .62 .72 .91 1.01 1.20 11... .15 .35 .46 .57 .68 .79 1.00 1.11 1.32 ♦For a full explanation of the rates of postage in the First Zone see the Parcel Post Guide. the unit in which his postoffice lies to the zone of the package's destina tions, the price as has been explained before, to every postoffice In any one zone being the same. The parcel post will take nothing but fourth-class mat ter. Printed' matter. Is still In the third-class designation. Therefore books cannot be sent by the parcel post system. This the postoffice au thorities seem to think is In a way unjust and may work a hardship. It may be that In the future the law will be changed so as to include all print ed matter. It seems to be certain that an attempt will be made to bring about this change as speedily as.pos sible. Postmaster General Hitchcock has ordered that postmasters be advised that parcel post packages cannot be accepted for mailing unless they bear a distinctive parcel post stamp and have attached to them the return card of the Bender. A .j series of distinctive stamps Is now In course of prepara tion for this class of mall as required by the law creating the parcol post system. Consignments of these stamps will be ready for shipment to all postofflces in ample time for the establishment of the new system on New Year's day. The postoffice department has given Instruction to every postmaster In the country to enlighten his patrons as much as possible on the gefieral sub ject of the parcel post and especially on the use of the special stamps and the necessary attachment of the re - turn card: rne law requires that all fourth-class matter mailed a ier Jan uary 1, 1913, without parcel post stamps attached shall be treated as "Held for postage" matter. Parcel post packages will be mailable only at postofflceß, branch postofflces, let tered and local named stations, and such numbered stations as may be designated by the postmasters. Rate on Seeds Not Affected. It should be said that the act of congress which puts a parcel post plan ■into operation does not In any way affect the postage rate on seedß, cut tings. bulbs, roots, scions and plants as fixed by section 482 of the postal laws and regulations. The classification of articles mall able as well as the weight limit, the rates of postage, zone or zones and other conditions of inailabillty under the act of congress, if the postmaster general shall find on experience "that they or any of them are such as to prevent the shipment of articles de sirable, or shall permanently render the cost of the service greater than the receipts of the revenuo therefrom. | he Is hereby authorized, subject to the consent of tho Interstate commerce commission after Investigation, to re form from time to time Buch classlfl j~ cation, weight limit, rates, zone or zones or conditions, In order to pro mote the service to the public or to i insure the receipt of revenuo from such service adequate to pay the coat thereof." Through many years different mem bers of the house and senate have ! been Interested In promoting parcel [ post legislation. Among the men most ! active In securing the legislation j whlcll Boon is to go Into effect as i law are Senator Jonathan Bourne of j Oregon, Representatives David, J. Lewis of Maryland and William Sul zer of New York, who has Just been j elected governor of that state. APPROVES RULES FOR PARCEL POST Postmaster General Issues Reg ulations Governing System. WHAT MAY BE SENT BY MAIL Gives American People Opportunity to Send Farm and Factory Products by Mall From and to Any Point In United States. Postmaster CJeneral Hitchcock has Just approved the regulations which cover in detail the nrtlclus which may or may not be sent by parcel post These regulations are now being turned off at the government printing office on a "rush order" and they will be distributed as rapidly afl possible. The rules as to what can be sent and what cannot be sent and the In structions for the preparation of mall able articles with other "official ad- given here UH they have Just by the postoffice de partnmiit in Washington. Thomlnlmum rate will be Ave cents for the first pound and throw cents for each additional pound to any point not exceeding fifty miles from the office of mailing; tho local rate, which Is five cents for tho first pound and one cent for additional pound, applies to all parcels the delivery of which does not Involve their transportation on rail way lines. The rates Increase for each successive one of the eight zones, th 6* maximum rate being twelve cents a pound, which will carry a parcel across the continent or to any of our possessions. Parcels will bo limited to eleven pounds In weight and six feet In length and girth combined. Mailable Perishable Articles. Butter, lard and perishable articles such as fish, fresh meats, dressed fowls, vegetables, fruits, berrlnß and articles of a similar nature that decay quickly, when so packed or wrapped as to prevent damage to other mall matter, will be accepted for local de livery either at the office of mailing or on any rural route starting therefrom When Inclosed In an Inner cover and a strong outer cover of wood, met al, heavy corrugated pasteboard or other sultablo material nnd wrapped RO that nothing can escape from the package, they will be ac cepted for mailing to any offices with in the first zone or within a radius of f)0 miles. Mutter, lard, or any greasy or oily substance intended for deliv ery at offices beyond the first zone must be suitably packed. Vegetables and fruit that do not decay quickly will be accepted for mailing to any zone if packed so as to prevent dam age to other mall matter. Kggs will be accepted for local delivery when se curely packed In a basket or other container. Kggs will be accepted for mailing regardless of distance when each egg Is wrapped separately aqd packed in a container. There Is no restriction on salted, dried, smoked or cured meats and other meat products, but fresh meat in any form will be transported only within the first zone. Parcels containing perishable arti cles must be marked "PERISHABLE," and articles likely to spoil within the time reasonably required for trans portation and delivery will not be ac cepted for mailing. Manufactured Articles. Manufacturers or dealers Intending to transmit articles In considerable quantities are asked to submit to the postmaster for approval a specimen parcel showing, the manner of pack ing. • • ' When sharp pointed instruments are offered for mailing, the points must be capped or encased. Blades must be bound so that they will remain at tached to each other or within their handles or sockets. In' Powders, pepper, snuff, or other similar powders not explosive, or any similar pulverized dry substance, not poisonous, may be sent when Inclosed in cases made of metal, wood or other material to render Impossible the es cape of any of the contents. Flour pf all kinds must be put up In such manner as to prevent the package breaking or the flour being scattered In the malls. Queen Bees and Nursery Stock. Queeu beeo, live lsecta, and driod reptiles mar bo mailed In accordance with the regulations that now apply to other classes of mall. Seeds of fruit, nursery stock, and all other plant products for preparation may be mailed same con ditions. Confectionery and Soap. Candies, confectionery, yeast cakes, soap in hard cakes, otc., must be In closed in boxes and so wrapped as to prevent Injury to other mall mat ter. Sealed original packages of propri etary articles, such as soaps, tobacco, pills, tablets, etc., put r.p In fixed quantities by the manufacturer, and not In themselves unmallable. will be accepted for mailing when properly wrapped. Millinery. Fragile articles, such as millinery, toys, musical Instruments, etc., an*} ar ticles consisting wholly or In part of glass, or contained In glass, must be securely packed and the parcel stamp ed or labeled "FRAGILE." Unmallable Matter. The following matter is declared un mallable by law: Matter manifestly bbscene, lewd, or lascivious; articles Intended for pre venting conception; articles Intended for Indecent or Immoral purposes; all matter otherwise mailable by law, the outside cover or wrapper of which bears and delineation or language ol a libelous, scurrilous, defamatory, oi threatening character. All such mat ter, when deposited In a post office or found In the mails, shall be withdrawn and sent to the divisions of dead let ters. Intoxicants, Poisons and Inflammable Materials. Spirituous, vinous, malted, ferment ed, or other intoxicating liquors of any kind; poisons of every kind, and arti cles and compositions containing poi son, ponsonouß animals, Insects and reptiles; explosives of every kind; In flammable materials (which are held to Include matches, kerosene oil, gaso line, naphtha, benzine, turpentine, de natured alcohol, etc.), Infernal ma chines, and mechanical, chemical or other devices or compositions which may ignite of explode; disease germs or scpbß, and other natural or artifi cial articles, compositions or mate rials *>f whatever kind which may kill, Or In any wise Injure another or ilamlfee the mall or other property. Pistols, Animals and Birds. Pistols or revolvers, whether In de tached parts or otherwise; live or dead (and not stuffed) animals, birds, or poultry, except as elsewhere pro vided; raw hides or pelts, guano, or any article having c bad odor will not be admitted to the malls. Treatment of Undellverable Parcels. Perishable matter will be delivered as promptly an possible, but If such matter can not be delivered and be comes offensive and Injurious to health, postmasters may destroy It, or the injurious or offensive vortlon thereof. Parcels Improperly Packed. Postnmsters will refuse to receive for mailing parcels not properly In dorsed or packed for safe shipment. When parcels on which the postage is wholly unpaid or insufficiently pre paid is deposited for local delivery and tho sender is unknown, notice of detention need not be sent but such matter will be delivered and the defi cient postage collected from the ad dressee by the carrier. If the ad dressee refuses to pay the postage tho matter will be sent to the Di vision of Dead Letters. insurance on Parcels. A mailable parcel on which the postage Is fully prepaid may be In sured against loss in an amount equtv alent to its actual value, but not to exceed SSO, on payment of a fee of ten cents in parcel post Btamps. such stamps to bo affixed. Forwarding of Parcel*. Parcels may be re mailed or for warded on the payment of additional postage* at the rate would be chargeable if they wero originally mailed at the forwarding office, in which case the necessary stamps will bo afllxfd by the forwarding postmas ter. Payment must be made every time the parcel is forwarded. Preparation for Mailing. Parcels must be prepared for mall ing In such manner that the contents can be easily examined. A parcel will not be accepted for mailing unless It bears the name and address of the sender preceded by the word "From." In addition to the name and address of the sender, which is required. It will be permissible to write or print on the covering of a parcel, or on a tag or label attached to it, the occu pation of the sender, and to indicate in a small space by meank of marks, letters, numbers, names or other brief description, the character of the par cel. but ample space must be left on the address side for the full address In legible characters and for tho ne cessary postage stamps. Inscriptions such as "Merry Christmas," "Please do not open until Christmas," "Happy New Year," ,"With best wishes,"" and the like, may be placed on the cover ing of the parcel In such manner as not to interfere with the address. Distinctive Stamps. Tho law requires that the postage on all matter must be prepaid by distinctive parcel .post stamps affixed. Postmasters cannot receive for mall Ing parcels that do not bear such stamps. Parcel post stamps aro not valid for j the payment of postage on matter ol ] the first, second, and third classes. , and when used for that purpose, the matter to which they are affixed shq|l be treated as "Held for postage." Maps and Guides. Parcel post maps, with accompany j Ing guldeß, are to be sold to the pub 11c at their cost, 75 cents, through the ; chief clerk of the post office depart- j ment. In ordering maps care should be taken to specify the post office from which the postage raUs j j are to be determined. inn. - ! INBIGTEQ ff Jiff t '» ON CHARGES OF INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER FOR WRECK I IN NOVEMBER. TWO ARF HELD RESPONSIBLE - j Charged Directly With | Wreck and Official* Indirectly.—Cln " 1 cinnati, Hamilton A. Dayton Passen r | i | ger Train Dashed Into Switch. • —«*-- —— Indianapolis, Ind. %>ixteen officials • and directors of the Cincinnati, Ham ilton & Dayton Railroad and two train ■ [ men were Indicted on charges of In • | voluntary manslaughter by the Marion ' County grand Jury In connection with ' its Investigation of the wreck on that ' road in a suburb on Nevember 12. Six | teen persons were killed when a pas senger train ran into an open switch and collided with a freight train. e Those indicted are: Daniel Willard L president; George F, Randolph, vice . | president, and George M. Schrlver, j second vice president, Baltimore; W. i j C. Loree, Cincinnati, general manager; jH. B. Vorhees, Cincinnati, general superintendent; R. B. White, Indiana- I polls, division superintendent; O. G. Murray, George W. Perkins, L. F.'Lo ree, H. P. Davison, Frederick W. Ste vens, Joseph Wood, E. R. Bacon, F. D. Underwood, Harry Bronner and Norman B. Ream, officials of the rail roads, and Carl Gross, brakeman on the freight train, and Willis York, engineer on the same train, both of Indianapolis. The indictment of the officials, ac cording to State's Attorney Baker. . connects them with the death of the r 16 wreck victims, because, it is charg ■ ed, incompetent men were employed. Local officials and the county coroner placed the blame for' the accident upon members of the train crew. Upon these facts the grand jury based its charges that the officers and dirctors of the road were responsible directly for the employment of train ' men and responsible indirectly for the wreck and deaths. ' Attempting to Stop Opium Traffic. 1 San Francisco.—ln atempting to put an end to the trans-Pacific traffic | in opium the Pacific Mail Steamship Company has put into effect what is said to be the moßt drastic measure yet promulgated to stop the importa , tion of the drug. Hereafter the dis covery of a single tin of opium in the quarters of an officer or employe on ■ any of the company's steamers will result in immediate, dismissal. Cus toms officials have contended that al 1 though opium usually has been dis covered in the quarters of Chinese, 1 the traffic has existed with some i knowledge at least on the part of the j white officers on board. News From Peace Conference. Constantinople. lnstructions sent to Rechad Pasha, to be presented at 1 j the session of the peace conference j in London and which the head of the i Ottoman delegation reported were in i part undecipherable were to propose | the submission of all matters at issue j between Turkey and the Balkan states to the decision of the powers with the i exception of the question of the future | possession of the Adrianople valleys. | The official view is that this proposal I of the Porte affords the most practi | ciil and at the same time the most ex peditious means of reaching a solu j tion of all difficulties. Castro Detained at Ellis Isalnd. New York. —Cipriano Castro, ex ! president of Venezuela, seeking en I trance to this country after a long residence abroad, was takeu off the steamship La Touraitie at quarantine I and removed to Kills Island pending a decision whether he will be allowed to enter the United States. Castro is traveling under the assumed name of | Ruiz but was easily identified by the officials. They were accompanied by jan interpreter and on boarding La | Touralne, at once had a conference | with the captain. Women Admitted to Membership. Washington.—Suffragettes - a word of encouragement from the J army league of the United States which has decided that its membership | may include "all citizens of good re | pute, both men and women." The or | ganization while only recently formed, j includes in its membeship such names |as Theodore Roosevelt, Granville j Robert Bacon, Curtis Guild, i William C. Endicott, August Belmont, j Henry A. DuPont and the adjutants general and prominent military officers of many of the"sfates. Investigating Oil Resources. Washington.—Convinced that the ; coal supply is inadequate and that 1 oil will he the fuel of the future, the I Russian government is reported by ; American Consul General Snodgrass ! at Moscow to be making elaborate ! preparations for ttffe changing condi tions. Millions of acres of rich oil lands have been withdrawn from pri | vate enterprises, but regulations are being drawn which will encourage private capital to investigate and de velop the properties under strict goT j eminent supervision. V; * - : -
The Enterprise (Williamston, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Jan. 3, 1913, edition 1
7
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