New-York tribune., 1903-07-14
A BACKWARD PARCELS POST.

In the current Outlook Mr.. James L. Cowles
makes a plea for a better parcels post service
in this country which will be appreciated by the
victims of the exorbtant demands of the ex-
press companies for the handling of small pack
ages In this respectsthe United States is far
behind Europe, and, Mr.. Cowles says, is going
backward. The postofice authorities and Con-
gressmen especially influential in postal affairs
have opposed the offering of conveniences to
small merchandise. and in 1896 they succeeded
in cutting down the limit OF weight on mer-
chandise to four pounds at 16 cents a pound
while to-day an eleven pound package can be
sent from Germany to Italy for 25 cents, and to
Egypt for 45 cents. The German parcels limit
is 110 pounds to be delivered anywhere in Ger
many Austria or Switzerland. In France it is
twenty-five pounds, and in England eleven
pounds,
The large area of the United States and the
burden of carrying letters at the low rate
charged on the short haul" business of Eng
land and of handling vast quantities of matter
that is second class only in name, make the in
PRODUCTION of any such parcels post system diff
cult here, quite aside from the powerful oppo-
sition Of the express companies. 1t ought to be
possible, however, for our government to give
its citizens equal facilities in the markets Of the
world with the people Of other countries, espe-
cialy as our express companies lack the enter
prise to supply the need Mr. Cowles makes a
significant quotation from our consul at For
mosa concerning the difficulties which Ameri-
cans meet in competing for Oriental trade He
writes:
know of no convenience in respect to com
mercial matters that our government could of
fer that would so soon show a profitable return
the institution of a parcels post with the
East. The United States Is noted in the East
Gov %Ia ~ff,s&N 80
Countless catalogues of attractive novelties
reach the East, and the magazines and trade
Journals convince us that our wants are many;
but so complicated, unreliable and expensive are
the private express services that one finds it i'm
practicable to send to America for anything un-
less the amount of the order is sufficient to Justify
having the shipment sent by freight .
parcels post service to the East would be of
nestimable value and directly enlarge the sale
of our small manufactured articles, novelties
etc, to the East, while. indirectly, by rendering
possible the cheap, safe and speedy transporta-
tion of samples it would be Of benefit in increas-
ing the volume of our general exports which are
shipped TO the East by freight.
As an instance of the utter failure of our ex-
press companies TO promote this trade Mr.
CowleS tells of a Connecticut manufacturer who
recently applied to a New-York forwarding
company to send a package by express to
Teheran, Persia. and was told that the company
could not guarantee any time of delivery or
safe delivery, or even prove delivery to the
shipper if it should he made. Another instance
of the unsatisfactory situation of this country
as regards foreign business recently came under
our own notice. business house in Australia
for convenience and to promote safe delivery
of letters, sent 10 a New-York correspondent a
small package of envelopes with its printed ad-
dress. The package was about the size of
single newspaper folded for transmission. The
postage was fully prepaid, but when the parcel
bod +l,o
to an express company which in New York de
manded 80 cents brokerage and delivery charges
for perhaps 10 cents worth of envelopes How
could business grow with such handicaps? And
vet we talk Of dominating the Pacific and bring
ing the trade of the Orient 10 our doors Ger
tainly there is room for great Improvement in
this field and the postofice has the facilities to
promote our foreign commerce if it is only per-
mitted TO use them.