The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-08-20
A POOR
POSTAL
SERVICE
Quick and Accurate
Service for Letter
Mail
But Thirty Years Behind the
Time In Our System
of Handling Larger
Packages

1--WE have the worst postal service o.
any civilized country In the world
There are improvement adopted ia
England. France. Germany and Italy
twenty and thirty years ago. which We
have not yet adopted at all or only par.
tally or imperfectly." wrote X. II
Dana. in "The appointment and
Tenure OF Postmaster" and James L.
Cowlcs quotes this as preface TO his
article ia the Outlook on what the
postofice might do. He says that a
dress suit case was presented at the
New York postofice for mailing 10
New Haven. and after considerable
parley II was accepted. the postage
costing s3.6s. A few days later Mr.
Cowles received a letter from Assist.
ant Postmaster General wynne stat
ing that the postal service Is intended
for the Interchange Of correspondence.
and not TO convey freight or express
matter.
Since 1885. says Mr. Covles. our
postal movement has been practically
one step forward. two steps back.
As long ago as 1880. Dr. Stephan. the
great postmaster general OF Germany.
called around him the Representatives
OF the leading nations OF Europe and
established the international parcel
post union. Today this service covers
thirty.hve OF the countries Of the world
letter post union. aud more than half
the civilized world, but not the United
States Under II eleven.pound parcels
20 today from Germany to Italy for
quarter; 10 Egypt for 4b cents, and
by virtue Of our one parcel post con.
vention with European power. TO the
United States for IS cents. plus our
surtax Of 8 oents--in all SO cents.
Switzerland takes eleven.pound par
cells from any postofice In the republic
TO the most distant chatlet on the
farthest Swiss Alps for cents. this
charge also covering an indemnity OF
81 for a delay OF over 20 hours be
yond the proper delivery. and inaur
anoe against loss or damage up to 81
a kilogram.
The Swiss post takes 4i.pound
packet from the poatoiiice to the ad.
dress for 80 centa. There seems 10 be
no limit 10 the weight OF the Swiss
parcel, and its only limit In bulk seems
20 be the slse OF a railway car door.
two meters In any direction.
The German post would have taken
the suit oase-eleven pounds--any dis.
tance up 10 GO English miles for G
cents and greater distances within the
combined area OF Germany and Aus,
tria for ~ cents. The German parcels
limit IL 80 kllos. 10 pounds. and par,
cells up 10 this weight are now inter,
changed between Germany Austria
and switzerland by post,
France, inaugurating her parcel post
with a 3 kilo weight limit In 1850. ex
tended the limit 10 Q kllos On poundsl
In 1899, and TO 10 kilos Gee poundsl
In 1897, which involved an increase OF
100 per cent ON the weight OF the par,
celia, proving a succoss.
The great commercial nations OF the
earth are now handling In their do
nestle and International parcels ser.
vices over $4,000 ooo a year having a
value Of thousands OF millions OF dol.
lars.
There Is an annual interchange OF
some S0,OOOOOO International parcels
year Tn, share OF tho United
States In this International service
last year parcels received and dis.
patched was less than l60.O