Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-11-30
SEND BY MAIL c. 0. D.
Postofhce Department May Inaug-
urate the Plan.
A QUINCY MERCHANT EXPERIMENTS
Much Time and Expense Would Un-
donbtedly be Saved the Shipper
Will Meet With Opposition
by Express Companies.

by Express COmpanieks
Much interest is being taken in many
Illinois and Iowa cities in the plan to
add new department to the postoffice
and allow goods to be sent by mail &c.
o. d." the same as is now done by the
express companies.
If the government adopts the plan
there will then be a CO. ID. clerk, just
as now there is a registry or money
order clerk. The scheme is practica-
BILE and would result in profit to the
government and in great savings to
jobbers and consumers. Small pack
ages would be sent c. o. d. by mail
and the money returned to the ship
ping office, and refunded to the ship
per, less the amount decided upon as
fees.
The jobbers will probably look upon
the plan with approval. AS it is now,
the smallest c. o. d. parcels when sent
by express are subject to fee of %
cents. No matter how slight the value
any little package sent c. o. d. by any
jobbing house costs this sum for ex-
pressage and return charges, and often
far in excess of that. There are in
stances, and not at all infrequent,
where the express and return charges
exceed the value of the contents of the
package.
The new plan for the postal depart
ment was submitted to the present
convention by Postmaster Wilcox. of
Quincy, in paper prepared by Harry
ID. Charles, of that city, who original
ed the scheme. and has carried it on in-
dividually to successful and profita-
BILE basis. The new department was
suggested to Mr.. Charles by the ext
gencies of the large mail order bus
mess done by his firm. Something
more than year ago he determined to
test the plan he had formulated, and
when customer at a distance wrote
for small package of merchandise
from his house he sent the same by
mail C. O. d. and mailed, at the same
time, a letter to the postmaster, asking
him to deliver the package upon pay
ment and to remit the amount less his
fee. In more than 200 test cases there
was not a single failure Much time
and expense We're saved in this way
over the usual shipment, C. O. D., by
express, where the smallest cost is rs
cents and return cost of money is add
ed. 1t gave greater satisfaction to
customer and dealer. @
After making 200 successful tests
Mr.. Charles communicated with the
postoffice department and laid his plans
and the practical working tests before
the postmaster general. With
his own recommendations he sent
recommendations from all of the larg-
est mail order houses of the country,
each full of praise for the system, and
recommending that it be Incorporated
as a feature of the domestic parcels
post system. 1t met with the approx
|al of the postmaster general and the
department, and when Mr.. Smith was
in Quincy. recently during the presi-
dents western trip, he met Mr. Charles
by appointment and the matter was
further discussed. Attorney General
Griggs was present at the conference
and gave his opinion on the legal
phases of its adoption.
Mr.. Charles prepared a paper on the
subject and this was read by Postmas-
ter Wilcox at the convention of first
class postmasters held in Chicago last
week. The adoption Of Mr.. Charles
idea, it is said, would mean an inn
mense saving TO large business houses
every year in the way Of express
charges. 1t would save time and the
exchange of numerous letters between
customers asking prices and dealers
answering letters of inquiry and would
add to the receipts of the postal de-
partment hundreds of thousands of
dollars yearly.
IT the government adopts the idea. it
means one new clerk at least in OF
tumwa postotfice and possibly more
assistants. The parcels post de-
Partment of the possoffice has been
greatly improved and enlarged of late
years, and this innovation will add to
its use and value.
Some postmasters over the state ex-
press the opinion that the proposed
plan contains some objections, al
though they say they had not inyestiga-
ted it thoroughly. The work of postmas-
tiers, especially in cities, would be ma
terially increased and the duties of the
postmaster largely multiplied. 1t is
thought that the express companies,
which represent millions of capital, will
oppose the plan strongly, but that the
idea will be laid before congress in the
shape of bill is now foregoue con
clusion.
Postmaster Lee is in Washington at
tending the convention of postmasters
before whom the subject was discussed.
When he returns to the city the
exact status of the matter as applied
to towns the size of Ottumwa can be
determined. 1t is safe to say that the
plan will meet with determined oppo-
sition in certain quarters regardless of
the saving it may effect to the people,
and as one expressed it twill simply
mean suggesting that the government
embark in the express business" just
what benefits would accrue and to
whom, or possible harm be done to OF
tumwa should the plan be inaugurated
could not be determined without care
fully considering all things in connec-
ton with it.