Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1900-03-24
PARCELS POST.


Representative Hull, of Iowa, is in
favor of a domestic parcels post on one
condition. Speaking of the pending
measure intended 10 introduce this al
legged reform in our postal service, he
says; 81 favor it if it can be made self
sustaining, but do not care to load
down the mails with parcels if the gov.
eminent must defray the expense OF
carrying Them The Chicago Chroni
Gle says "that is right and that Mr.
Hull is also right in his general propo'
sition that there is no reason why the
postal service should not be put upon y
paying basis" The Chronicle adds:
The proper course is TO put the en-.
tire service-that r, every separate
branch of ton paying basis. II
congress will do that a parcel post sery.
ice can be rendered at satisfactory
rates, the capacity Of express companies
can be checked the free delivery sys-
TEN extended and letter rates can be
reduced. But no gratuitous class
service must be the foundation of gen.
uine postal reform"
Whatever OF ''gratuitous class serv.
ice" there is in our postal system should
be eliminated. There are tons OF
printed matter carried in the mails
every day at loss to the government
which has no claim to favorable con
slderatiou. Publications which are
printed only for advertising purposes,
and have no regular subscription list,
are distributed by millions of copies at
postal rates far below the cost of the
service. We're this abuse reformed and
the franking privilege confined to rea-
sonable limits, there would be no deficit
of postal revenues. But the publishers
of fake weeklies and monthlies appear
to be so strongly backed in congress
that there is little hope of loosening
their grip, and as to the ranking bust
ness it bids fair, if not checked, to
cover the free printing and free distri-
button of anything and everything that
can possibly he utilized in a political
campaign,
But how does it happen that the Chi
eago Chronicle, paper that processes
to be an exponent of Jeifersonian and
Jacksonian Democracy, comes out in
advocacy of the extreme paternalism
embodied in the parcels post bill?
There is quite enough of that in the
law as it stands. For many years the
government has been doing an express
business scarcely justified by sound
principles, and by nomeans in harmony
with the old-time Democratic creed
But now it is proposed to copy the
methods of the paternal governments
of Europe, and make our postal cars
freight cars and our postal clerks ex-
press messengers. The Chronicle init.
mates that this radical departure from
the original intentof the postal service,
this enormous injection Of patcrnalism
into department necessarily, to some
extent paternal, is necesstatcd by the
eXactionSof express companies. Is it
the business of our democratic govern
ment to regulate prices by entering into
a cut-throat competition with men en-
gagged in all sorts Of occupations? No |
man or set of men, no firm, corpora
ton or association can compete with |
the United States if congress under
takes to perform the work in which he
or they are engaged, for congress can
employ the taxing power, and thereby
make up for losses incurred. And
where is the logical end of such compe-
tition? Why not meet the complaints
Of high freight charges by going into
the general freight business? Why,
when complaint is made of exorbitant
passenger rates, should not the govern.
nent 60 into general passenger bust.
ness?
The mails carry packages from Wash.
ngton to Sitka at the same rate charged
or carrying them from Washington to
Alexandria. Extension of the limit as
o weight Of mailabIe packages would
BRING all freights into mail cars. How
ong will it take to reach that degree
If paternalism if we undertake to re.
move complaint by competition? And,
,aying done that, why should the
power Of the government
lalt there? Having annihilated the
transportation industry, why not 60
INTO the producing industries? Is there
my logical line of demarlIation be.
ween governmental control of distri.
'ution and the same relation between
and production?
Whatever the people can do for them.
elves reasonably well, the government
hould not do for them, The postal
ervice the transportation of letters,
newspapers and magazines, is bust.
less that cannot be well performed in
il parts of the country by private en-
erprise. But this is not true of the
business. And unless
We desire to enter into and push on in a
curse that will logically lead right on
o communistic paternalsm, we should
ot adopt the parcels post system of
ontinental Europe. However well it
ray comport with conditions in Ger
Many, where the government owns the j
and makes bungle of their
Management, it is not in harmony with
ur plan OF t.-Washingtor
'ost.
Satisfaction.
DeMuner-Of course, you can't be.