The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-01-29
MENACE TO LOCAL DEALERS.

The Pacific Coast Jobbers associa.
tion has enlisted in an effort in which
it should receive the hearty support
and cooperation of the merchants Of
Montana. The association is putting
forth every mean in it's power to de.
feat the parcels post bill which is
now before one of the committees of
congress. The object of the bill is to
make the government a common car
rier for all classes of merchandise
and at rates lower than the railroads
or express companies can possibly
hope to meet. The bill is backed by
the large department stores of the east
and if successful will drive out of
business many of the small dealers
who are now engaged in trade in the
west and help to keep up cities and
towns.
Under the present law merchandise
in packages lot weighing over four
pounds are admitted to the mails and
the rate of postage thereon is a cent
an ounce or 16 cents per pound, max
ing the maximum 81 cents. The pro-
posed law will do away with this, as
it will change the schedule so as to
make it possible to deliver a parcel
weighing 60 pounds at any place in
the west for the sum of 40 cents, or
$500 less than a railroad would
charge. For the same weight under
the present law the government
would charge $500 and oblige the
consignor to divide it into Is parcels.
The pending bill would do away with
this, as it provides that the rates it
makes shall apply to bulk as we'll as
weight, in the same proportion, under
arrangements made with the p~ostoffice
department. No charge is to be
made for delivery, the bill providing
that the original charge shall cover
house collection and delivery where
wagon or Car service has been or
may be established. The only limi-
tation made is that in places where
only a foot service is maintained the
postman need not carry more than five
pounds.
The operations of the proposed law,
it is easily to be seen, would speedily
result in complete decentralization Of
all local trade in every community, as
the large eastern concerns could sell
by catalogue and derive every benefit
of branch institutions withut incur
ring any of the expenses. The gov
eminent would also become a COM
p%etitor of railroads and transportation
companies and at a ruinous rate, for
it is reasonable to suppose that the
rates it would receive for transporting
freight would be far below those it
would have to pay the railroads for
carrying the goods. In addition to
this it would find itself required to
employ additional help, for it is I'M
reasonable to suppose that the force
now needed to meet the requirements
of a legitimate mail service would
be sufficient were that service
to be burdened by being turned
into a transportation line for
the shipment of household goods,
groceries, dry goods and other classes
Of merchandise admitted under the
pending measure. The greatest
wrong, however, would be to the men
who do business legitimately in the
towns and cite of the west, who pay
taxes, license and in other ways share
the burden Of keeping up the COM
munities in which they reside. As
they are the ones whom the bill
threatens it is to them that APP
peal is made to assist the jobbers of
the Pacific coast.