New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-12
THE GOVERNUENI EXPRESS.


They are inst beginning in England the use
of the aparcels post" as they call 1T here IL 10
known AZ the merchandise mall" or fourth
class matter" The new service is 80 popular
as to be almost overwhelmed by the amount or
business, ana it is likely to cut into the trane
of the small shoDkeepers, because the butchers
and grocers, etc, are using it SD freely I'd Senu
goods to customers. Meat and sugar arc sent
home through Her Majesty's mail, add tbs hunt
ers in Scotland will remit their game under
postace stamp. The English papers just re-
ceiyed ri ve much space to the first days wolK-
inps of the "parcels post" One enterprlslng
firm fills an entire page OF The London iimeS
with advertisements of tho rates at when IL
will send packages OF tea to various parlS
of England. There is more reason tr sncn
n use of the mails over there than mere. EA-
press facilities are limited; the distances are
short p: the rate is cheaper the size OF plckage
allowed TO be sent is larger; and Mr.. Fawcett
has arranged for the delivery of parcels IN the
cities by wagons-a point we have not reached
here. Here the limit of package IL four
pounds. At one cent an ounce, this costs sixty
four cents. In England 1t would cost nine
pence. Here, if the package Is gong from
store on Broadway to Newark, n. j., an express
ccmpany gets it, because the express rtte ~
cheaper: if it is going to Portland, Oregon, 1t Is
ont into the mail, and carried out there at
considerable loss. The English system extends
TO anv part of England, Scotland, Wales ana
Ireland but the whole territory is small IA com
nared with the vast extent of our postal system.
The maximum weig of package in the "par-
cells most is seven pounds and tho maximum
charge one shilling.
The system has Deen in use here several years,
and was for "a time n source OF great dissailsiac-
ton 70 the Post-Olice Department. An in
teresting change has taken place III this respect.
II WAS supposed until recently that the mer-
chandise mail represented heavy loss annually
n the Government. The rate was so high for
short distances that most of the business which
the Government could ave done without loss
went. it was believed, to the express companies.
Newly York stores, for example, sending pack
ages To customers within a few hours 10y rail-
rnad, would use the express. But shoe dealer
in Denver OF in Arizona buying his stock 10 the
East would have 1t made up IN four-pound pack
ages. and the Government would have To carry
IL to the Rocky Mountains for him for sixteen
cents pound. The use of tho merchandise
mail soon reached large proportions. A count
was made of all matter mailed in the Unted
States during the first seven days of December
1890 and on this basls it was estimated that
21,515,S32 packages, weighing o'o4o'ofo
hounds, were carried as fourth class matter
during the year. The loss to the Government
was believed to be 40 great by those Dest IN
formed that Postmaster General James, IN his
-ep9rt in 1881, declared that " the wisdom OF
- recurring the Government To become Carrier
4 of merchandise ia very questionable y; and
Postmaster General Howe. 10 his report last
December. emphatcally recommended an in
crease in the rate, saying that the present rate
was anot approved by good sense" few
weeks aflerward, However, in letter to Sena-
tor Plumb. which has never beeL published lie
| frankly receded from the positive assertion that
the merchandise mail caused loss to tue Gov-
eminent. count was made OF parcels sent
| from the New-York Post-0flico for one dag OF
| twenty-four hours in November last Or the
24.446 parcels mailed. II per cent were sent
le,s than ,OOO miles. During an entire week
| In October last, the packages sent from the
| New-York Post-Oflice were weighed, and 1t was
| fouud that 40 per cent Of the weight did not "a
beyond Buffalo, that ~ per cent did not go be-
yond Chicago, while only 20 per cent went west
of Omaha.
| These figures seem to show that II there
| il "A deficiency in the revenues from this
mail, it is not a large one. The only reasonable
remedy ever proposed, that of rates varying
according to distance. would cause infinite COM
piication. If there is a Deficiency, it must be
boIne, like that caused by the extension of mail
facilities to thinly settled regions. The mer-
chandise mail has now probably become too
| great COW, nience to the people to be i'm
paired, especially as it reaches many points
| where there are no express agencies.