The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1904-02-24
TWO HUNDRED MILLIONS
ARE WASTED EVERY YEAR
How the p. o. Department Could
Aid Commerce in Delivering Pack
ages-ln Other Countries.

Flow far the industries and commerce
OF the United States are hampcred by Il
postal system which, in many of its
features. has come down To IL from the
beginning OF government, aud which has
failed to Keep step with other advances
in governmental organization. may bc
briefly shown by II presentation OF the
conditions which prevail in some other
countries which we are accustomed to
regard as the reverse of entcrprising.
Those conditions which prevail today
in the United States are factors of the
highest Importance to our commercial
development.
Commerce in its final analysis resolves
itself into the delivery of packages. A.
civilization develops, commerce divides
itself more and more into parcels
and the carrying of packages must play
a constantly increasing part.
For years it has been the hope that g,
because every merchant and manufac-
turer in the country was vitality inter
cstcd in the subject, congress would take
the matter in hand; but unquestionably
until the great losses annually incurred
by our merchants come to be fully under
stood by the public, congress will do
nothing.
One statement is sufficiently startling
to arrest attention; namely, that the
rate charged by the United States post
Office for merchandise is six thousand per
cent. greater than that charged by Ger
many.
Under the United States postoflicc:
First the merchants must pay siXty-four
cents for four pounds of merchandise
known as fourthclass matter;
Second. He has had refused any pack
age which by chance was sent to the
post Office and found to be Of more than
four pounds in weight;
Third. He has had refused registra-
ton of packages without an extra price
This registration, if carried out, would
have involved visit to the post office
department and much valuable time lost;
Fourth. He has had delivery of par
GELS to the home refused by the postotiice
department if consigned to any town in
which there is no free delivery system;
Fifth. He has had all insurance on the
package refused by the government;
Yet, because of the superior acumen of
those who have legislated for the English
postoflice department. the same package
might have been posted in Edinburgh,
carried across the Atlantic, taken in
United States postal ears across the en-
tire American continent, and delivered
in the remotest suburb of Seattle
For how much, think you?
For one fourth less than what ii would
have cost to send it from Rochester to
Buffalo.
But that is not all. Instead of being
limited to four pounds, at sixteen cents
n pound as between Rochester and Buff
falo,one could send eleven pounds from
Edinburgh to Seattle for threefourths
of the price that would be paid from
Rochester to Buffalo, and, in addition,
could have it insured at n nominal cost.
You ask how the people of the United
States, who usually are so quick to per-
ceive advantage, can permit this state Of
affairs to exist?
This query is answered by the reply
which John Wanamaker made to a some
what similar question which l put to him
when he was postmaster general:
1T is true" he said, that parcels
could be carried at about onefourth
their present cost by the postoliice de-
partment, but you do not seem to be
aware that there are four insuperable
obstacles to the carrying of parcels by
the United States postoflice department"
Then, without waiting for show of
surprise, he continued;
The first of these is the Adams En-
press company; the second is the Ameri-
can Express company; the third, the
Wells Fargo Express company; and the
fourth, the Southern Express company"
There could be no further argument.
Does this seem like an exceptional
case? On the contrary, Great Britain
goes much further in her liberality. She
carries package from Edinburgh
through London to Egypt, through the
Suez canal to India, from India to Hong
Kong from Hong Kong to Shanghai and
there delivers it to the home of the re-
ceiver for twelve cents per pound, or
three fourths of what the United States
charges from Rochester to Buffalo, dis
lance of f1fty-one miles.
Is Great Britain exceptional in her pos
tai liberality?
On the contrary, Mr.. Henniker Heaton,
IS no hoI IL.