Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-22
PARCELS POST TREATIES
NOW BEING CONSIDERED WITH
EUROPEAN COUNTRIES.
With Germany We Already Have an
Agreement, Which is to Be
Modified.

Parcels post conventions are now under
consideration between the United States
and every country of continental Europe
with the exception of Germany, with which
we already have a convention
in the case of Germany however, the
original limit of weight of eleven pounds
has been reduced to four pounds six ounces,
1t having been found that the weight at
first allowed was proving a severe handicap
to our American merchants, who were
obliged to compete in the C.lited States on
an unfair basis with German nlanufactur
ers. The limit of weight for packages with
in the borders of the United States
is four pounds and with the par
cells post convention in operation with
Germany it son was found that the
merchants of that country were send
ing goods to the United States. which car
ried them free across the country. in pack
ages of eleven pounds weight, while the
merchants of the United States we're limited
to packages of four pounds. Our merchants
could not compete with this discrimination
and the treaty was modihed 70 make the
condition equable. Acting Postmaster Cen
eral Shallenberger, In discussing the mat
ter today, said:
Gen. Shallenberger's Statement.
although conventions relating to the car
rage of parcels through the mails have
been made with many foreign countries. no.
tably Japan of recent date, the conditions
of mail transportation between this coun-
try and any other making application to
our Post Office Department for a conven-
ton are carefully considered before action
is taken. These treaties permit the Tree
carriage of all packages within speclned
weight through one country when postage
has been prepaid at the point or mailing
in the other.
The ARRANGEMENT seems to be fair, Tor
when the United States collects postage on
package mailed at New York to some
point in Germany the cost TO TINS govern
ment is far less than the payment made,
and Germany, which carries the package
to its destination gets nothing for the serv-
ice Reverse the case; suppose that
package is mailed in Berlin for San Fran
cisco, and it is seen that the cost TO the
German postal service is very small, and
that the United States carries 1t more than
3, 600 miles for nothing.
Balance Of Receipts Fair.
THE balance Of receipts is however, fair
for the service rendered, and the parcels
post certainly increases commerce and
broadens the field of trade. 1t is only when
foreign merchants are given the advantage
over those of the United States that the
matter becomes a menace to the trade Of
this country. The kilogram being the STAN
dard of weight in Germany, we formerly
allowed them five kilograms, the equivalent
of eleven pounds for their packages, and
they set a rate on this Of marks and 10
pfennig, or about SO cents. On our pack
ages to Germany the rate was set at II
cents a pound or fraction thereof. so that
we collected more for the service than
Germany did. but our merchants were at
disadvantage because of the discrimination
between the weight limit on Foreign and
domestic packages. They could send
package of eleven pounds weight to Ger
many but not more than four pounds In
the United States while German merchants
could send eleven pounds into any part OF
the United States.
This naturally gave the advantage to
the German merchant, who could ship his
goods in eleven-pound packages to any
part of this country for 50 cents for the
eleven pounds, while the home merchants.
IL wishing to send goods in that manner to
distant post offices. had to pay rate Of
u cents a pound. The discrimination was
obvious, end steps were taken to cancel
that part of the treaty which referred to
the weight of the parcels post packages.
IF the United States enters into a par
cells post agreement with any other of the
European countries this discrimination will
be taken into consideration. and the rate
and weight limit carefully averaged with
those of the countries with which we enter
into the conventions"