Union
Vol. VI.—No. 17.
RALEIGH, N. C., APRIL 25, 1912.
One Dollar a Year.
Some More About the Parcels Post.
The post office appropriation bill which car- j
I’ies with it a limited or “partial” or “local” par-
post is now under discussion in Congress.
Section 8 of the bill reads:
“Section 8. That hereafter postage shall be
P&id on matter of fourth class at the rate of
fWelve cents per pound except as herein provided.
“That no article, package, or parcel shall be
bailable as matter of the fourth class which ex-
^aeds eleven pounds in weight, except as herein
Provided,
“That on each and all rural mail delivery routes
of the United States the postmaster at the starting
Point of such route, shall until June thirtieth,
Nineteen hundred and fourteen, receive and de
liver to the carrier or carriers of said routes all
articles, parcels, or packages not prohibited to the
biails by law and falling under the definition of
fourth class matter and not weighing in excess of
oleven pounds, for transportation and delivery on
^‘aid routes only; and the carriers shall receive at
^atermediate points on all rural routes such mail
Platter of the fourth class for delivery on their re
spective routes only.
“That postage shall be paid on all articles, par-
or packages entitled to transportation under
fhe provisions of this Act as matter of the fourth
^^ass on rural mail delivery routes only at the fol
lowing rates: One cent for each two ounces or
two cents for more than two ounces but not
^ore than four ounces, three cents for more than
^our ounces but not more than eight ounces, four
'-‘outs for more than eight ounces but not more
f^ian twelve ounces, five cents for more than
'■"^elve ounces but not more than a pound, and two
^®ats per pound for each additional pound or frac-
thereof up to and including a total of eleven
f'Ofinds, That the Postmaster General shall make
Hll
8lst
^ules and regulations necessary and not incon-
Act.
®bt with law to the proper execution of this
This section further provides for the establish-
^^®nt of a general parcels post commisison of .six
^®*'Sons, three appointed by the Speaker of the
^ouse of Representatives, and three by the Presi-
l^^ht of the Senate, to investigate the practicabil
bill
of the establishment of a parcels post. The
^8 from the Committee on the Post Office and
Roads, is a distinct disappointment to a large
^8jority of the American people, and seems to be
obly supported by the Chairman of the Commit-
^ ® I'eporting the bill. Under existing law, we have
General parcel post, fixing postal rate at Ic an
^^Oce limit of four pounds for mail matter
the fourth (or merchandise) class. By the-
^J'his of the International Postal Convention, the
of twenty-three foreign countries may now
^Pstnit fourth class matter through our mails, to
Voi United States, at a rate of 12c a
'Ad, with a limit of eleven (11) pounds.
Hon. J. Bryan Grimes, Secretary of State.
While the United States will .handle packages to
a weight of eleven pounds at 12c a pound for for
eigners, it restricts its own people to four pounds,
at 16c a pound. An Austrian or Italian or other
European can send eleven pounds from their home
through New York to San Francisco for 12c a
pound, or at a cost of $1.32, while it would cost an
American $1.76 to send the same package through
the mails from Raleigh to Cary, and then he would
have to make it into three (3) separate packages
so that neither wouid weigh more than four (4)
pounds. Many feel that it is time for the govern
ment to cease discriminating against its own peo
ple in the matter of mails. It is conceded that a
parcels post would cost the government practically
no more than the operation of present mail sys
tem, and the increased business would take care
of the present postal deficit, due to our benighted
system and unbusiness-like management of the
Post Office Department.
The present bill gives very little relief, and! the
Chairman of the committee in explaining the bill
says: “It was not intended to make any radical
change in the present parcei post law by this pro
vision, but only to equalize as far as possible the
pound rates between the citizens and the for
eigner.
« * *
“The proposition put in this bill permitting
mail to be carried on the same terms that it is car
ried under the international convention is not put
!
there to cover, nor was it intended to be an answer
to the demand for a general parcel post in the
United States. It was more to meet the argument
than anything else we were giving to the for
eigner that which we did not give to the American
citizen through the mails. Now I,do not think
that this proposition of twelve cents a pound is
going to be of material benefit to anybody, for the
reason that it is a pound rate, and not an ounce
rate. It does not provide for fractions of pounds.
It provides for pounds only. . . .”
♦ * ♦
“It does not repeal the law that provides for the
ounce rate.
“I do not believe it is going to be of any mate
rial benefit either to the farmer or to the mer
chant. It is put there to equalize the foreign and
domestic proposition in a measure upon this ques
tion, and more, as I said before, than anything
else, to meet the suggestion that we were treating
the foreigner better than our own people.” “It
does not offer much to the farmer.” “You will
observe, gentlemen, that thiS bill does not pro-
I.ose to establish a complete parcels post. It is
very far from it.” •
The above extracts are from the speech of Mr.
Moon, who has charge of the bill, on the floor of
the House of Representatives. (See Congres
sional Record, page 4802 et seq.)
The local parcels post is limited to the route on
which the service begins and must end.
Under this bill, a man living two miles from
Raleigh, on Route No. 2, cannot send a package to
a man living three miles from Raleigh on Route
No. 4, etc., though it would not cost the govern
ment extra to distribute the package at Raleigh.
The imich heralded i)arcels post bill is a hoa.Y
handeii to the farmers of the United States. The
bill may not become a law, as small effort seems
to be made to pass it.
The need of a parcels post has been recognized
for years. One of the Post Masters General years
ago who favored it said he found four insuperable
obstacles to its passage, and named the four great
express companies of the country.
If the great express companies by combinations
with the railroads can get a rate of a fraction of a
cent a pound, surely the United States ought to
be able to get a rate for less than twelve cents a
pound.
Several bills have been introduced into Con
gress for taking over or regulating Express Com
panies. A bill that seems to meet with much favor
IS for a systeni of maximum rates fixed by the
government, and arranged by zones. With a
graduated scale of rates for all packages under
eleven pounds, beginning at two cents a pound, be
tween any two points not more than 250 miles
apart, and ranging up to twelve cents a pound be
tween any two points in the United States not
more than two thousand miles apart.
I would like to see the government take over
the Express Companies, paying them a good price
for their franchises, operating equipment, horses,
wagons, cars, buildings, etc., and mdke a parcels
express part of the postal system of the country
of it. I wouid like to see Congress enact a law
prohibiting members of Congress from acting as
attorneys for express companies, or being on their
salary list while holding commissions as repre
sentatives of the people.
I would like to see not only an effective parcels
post established but also see the government take
over the telegraph and telephone lines of the
country as a part of the Post Office system of the
United States.
At the National Farmers’ Congress, held at
Richmond, Va., in 1906, the writer introduced the
following resolution: which was passed with slight
amendment:
V
Whereas, A parcels post wquld greatly encour
age industry, increase commerce and prove most
convenient to the manufacturer, merchant, far
mer and citizen in every walk of life; and
Whereas, it is a commercial necessity that
would save many millions of dollars a year to the
people of this country and at the same time be
profitable to the government; and
(Continued on page 9.)
, ^
ft
i
I
t .
f
I t:
\:i ;■
1;
I
i: