The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-09-01 00:00:00

THE PARCELS Posr.

It ought not to be a matter for much surprise
that the result of the first month's working of
the Parcels Post has been somewhat of a dis-
appointment, not only to these who were pre-
pared to find failure in any new work undertaken
by a Government department, but a'so to those
who prophesied that a revolution in the carrying
trade was at hand. It is in the very nature of
man to he either too sanguine or too despondent
concerning all fresh enterprises ; and the one
feeling or the other is so deeply engrained that
argument concerning it would well-nigh appear
to be useless. But however frequently the
mistake is exhibited of tekiug extreme views
upon any question of phich time alone can
furnish the solution, as often as a great under-
teking is presented to the public, so often will
the same old error be repeated. It has been
thus with the Patcels Post, and it may not be
uninteresting, now that a month has passed
since the scheme came into operation, to con
eider a little as to whether it is not better thus
than if either the sanguine expectations of the
promoters or the despondent prophesies of its
deprecators had been fully realised. Experience,
then, which has been gained so far would tend
to show that the Parcels Post is not likely to
absorb the whole, lesser carrying trade of the
country, and though it might be better for the
pocket of the Post-office if this were not the
case it is to be doubted whether it is not better
for the nation at large. There is, and a:ways
has been in England a fear of State encroach-
ment upon private enterprise, and although
this may sometimes be carried to too great an
extreme, it is perhaps better that it occas3ionaliy
should be, than that the example of a neighbour
ing nation should be followed, and the State be
looked upon as the all mall of those who wish
for public enterprises to be efficiently executed.
Ihe English feeling has had as its effect the
strengthening of that spirit of commercial
independence which lies at the root of our
mercantile supremacy ; and, therefore, the fact
that the Parcels Post does not appear destined
to destroy the present agencies will be re-
garded by the public with equanimity. On the
other side, it has to be noted that those who
prognosticated certain failure for the Postmaster
General's attempt, or that, even if absolute
failure cid not follow, the earliest efforts would
be marked with much confusion, have beeu
proved to have reckoned wrongly. A concern
is not, as some people seem to thick, necessarily
mismanaged because it is worked by Govern-
ment officials, as the postal and telegraphic
services already have shown, and the errors
incidental to the inauguration of every new
system have been by no means as grievous in
connection with the Parcels Post as might fairly
have been expected and fully have been excused.
The probability is that there is a great future be-
fore the now system, and very likely in directions
that cannot yet be plainly foreseen. It may not
o any overwhelming extent co epete with the
great companies weich convey goods from the
metropolis or the manufeeturing districts to the
pi::_oie-Sf immense ill-vice lo the smaller pro-
vincial towns and esoecially to remote villages.
It is just with regard to the last named th A the
boon will especially be felt. The companies
cen establish proti;able connections with the
larger places, but the smaller have been left very
much to themselves, as was only natural seeing
how little field for profit they afforded. A
national se stem, like that established by the
Post Office, organised oa a uniform basis, can
touch even the smallest and most neglected
villages, and it is this point which more than
any will commend it to general support. It will,
however, always have to collie:id with one great
difficulty which neither of its sister services has
to face. The Pest Office has the monopoly of
eedvering letters and of sending telegrams, but
is never likely to have the monopoly of cerryieg
precis. The consequence is that with regard
ti both letters and t. !agree's, the profits pined
by the very extensive transtctious of the large
towns more than compensate for the loss set-
tamed by catering ler the s:naller places. This
c. ,n never be the case with reference to parcels,
an I here is the greatest of the rocks ahead of
the new system. vneails of ruaunzeweut can
be altered to suit th 3 public cenvenie ice, eigi)
may be adapted More surely to the general need,
and the qnes ion of the pric.3 par pouni way be
found to he cepah'e of clusiderati en with a view
to reform; but all :hose are minor points when
contrasted with the ill abs n.bing query, "Will
the Parcels Post ? " It has to meet a severe
competition at th 3h muds uf poweefal rivalry,
but if the necessary energy be thrown into the
administration, t no...;essacy care shown f
the public waif ere, the aim We with a isaredly be
in the affirmative.