The Savannah morning news., 1900-12-24
FREE DELIVERY AND rAHCEIs


q
POsT.
The Postmaster General asks for on ap-
preparation Of S16W.e0o for tho extension
OF she rural free mail delivery li is i~-
hcved that che amount Viii hc torihcoin-
ing. The rural free delivery has been
found popg!ar wherever % has been r'ed.
and % 8. the purpose ~ Che department
Co extend b. throughout the country
wherever possible.
should abe fres delivery appropriation
40 through there would come at once q
demand for tho paraeh post, in aner
words that the government carry paroeie
of merchandise Boo the malls as veil as
letters. newspaper. magazines and smnl.
bundles as a. present Under toe exist
inr law parcels weighing four pound
each may be- sen, through tho mails. Tho
proposition ls that rho limit ~ weight
shall De raised Say 30 zen. nftecn OF
twenty pounds Under our postal trcntiea
we are at present obliged To- carry pack
ages Weighing eleven pounds 20 or from
foreign countries while We are lin
ited 10 four pounds for our own peo-
%. Il IS contended ana, this So an In
Justice which ought. to h. remcdied
Tho opposition TO the parcels post is eS-
pcctcl 20 come from the country mer-
chants. enc country newspapers and the
express ,ompauics Zach 81 these inter
ests would be- seriously affected by &c.
The parcels poet would pu' rural shop
pcrs iu direct communication with the
great city stores az "a nominal cost for
transportation of purchases. IL would de-
priyc The country newspapers OF the I'D
yertisIug which they now set from the
village ana town stores. ana 81 would cut
the express companies out Of carrying
small PACKAGE above four pounds iu
weight-quite an important consideration
j, Is easy 90 see how the parcels pos'
would operate IN. tho interest Of great ag-
gregatlons OF wealth. against private en-
terprise and against individuals strug-
Cling 10 make a living la trade. The
great department stores % the c.tles
would food the country with their price
lists Offering goods 40 prices with which
country merchants would ina q lmpos
slble 70 compete. As a consequence the
country merchant would have 20 10 out
of business. except Tor the sale OF nails.
molasses and n Few other gross and heavy
auioles which could not be transmitted
by mail lie would have 10 quit selling
ribbons. dress goods. shoes shirts. under
wear ana like articles 10 which best prot
its are to be found A. consequence h.
would have to stop advertising tn tho To-
cal papers. for the reason that he would
have little 10 advertise except nails and
molasses And the express compauies
would have 10 increase their rates on the
heavier merchandise carried. or reduce
the pay or their employees. for che rca-
son that the mails. being 10 competition
with them. would deprive them Of a con
siderable part OF their revenue.
The parcels post meanwhile. would be
great tbing for the big stores Of the
cities II would enable them 10 undcrscl
the country merchant IN his own terri
tory II would give capital an immense
advantage over Individual enterprise The
New York OF Chicago retail merchants,
buying inN carload los from the factories
could deliver articles IN the country six
or eight miles from a country town at
prices that could not be met by the mcr-
chants OF those towns in their own stores
on account OF the freights and the ne
ccssity OF purchasing IN smaller quaint
ties.
The parcels post. IN short. would pu,
the government into competition with pr-
waite enterprise az "a common ohrfier. al
the same time afford aggregated capital
a great advantage over individuals ia thu
distribution OF articles 81 merchandise
Il Is TO be expected that there viii be a
lively contest over the matter in Congress
before great while longer.
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