The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-02-12

ana uiStFIOuteQ VS,6IJ,S73 In 01v1dend1s
be not soon moved to initiate the lib
crafty Of the Canadian companies"
-. - AZ
THE RARCELs Posi- SYSTEM.
John Brisben Walker, editor or the
Cosmopolitan, has an interesting ar
ticle in the February number on the
parcels post systems OF the world. He
shows that the United States is far
behind every ether progressive nation
OF the world ii this respect. He says
that because OF the superior acumen
OF those who have legislated for, the
English postonice department the same
package might be posted in Edsn-
burgh, carried across the Atlantic.
taken in United States. postal cars
across the entire American continent
and delivered in the remotest suburb
Of Seattle for less than one-fourth of
what it would cost to send it from
Rochester to Buffalo-fifty-one miles.
He quotes John wanamaker as saying
when he was postmaster general under
Harrison: 1T is true that parcels could
be carried at about one twelfth Of the
present cost by the postoflice depart
ment, but you do not seem to be aware
that there are four insuperable OBJ
stacles in the carrying Of parcels by the
United States postoffice department.
The first of these is the Adams Ex-
press Company. the second is the
American Express Company, the third
is the Wells Fargo Express Company,
and the fourth is the Southern Express
Company" ~
Mr.. Walker says: 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 a 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 at the
home. of the receiver for twelve cents
per pound. or three-fourths Of what
the United States charges from Ro-
chester to Buffalo.
rs Great Britain exceptional in her
liberality?
ION the contrary, Mr.. Henniker
Heaton, a member Of parliament who
has made. postal reform his special
study, claims that Great Britain is az
far behind Germany and Austria In
her postal system as the >'benighted'
United States is behind Great Britain.
I Certainly while we give England
and Germany the. privilege of sending
a package from Berlin across the
American continent to Seattle for
twelve cents a pound and at the same
time charge the merchant 6f Roches-
ter sixteen cents pound from Roches-
ter to Buffalo, the word -.benighted
scarcely covers the case.
while we absolutely refuse to &C
cept a package greater than four
pounds in weight, Germany has found
it good business to extend the limit to
one hundred and ten pounds. This
one hundred and ten pounds will be
sent from one end Of Germany, to the
other for thirty cents, or about one
fourth of cent a pound"
Mr.. Walker proposes as a, remedy
for all this the buying out of all the ex-
press companies by the federal gov
eminent and the establishment of
general parcels post system.
The advocates Of this system con-
tend that instead of injuring the coun-
try merchant it would aid him by ena-
bling him to order goods desired by
customers, and that he would not be
under the disadvantage of carrying
large stocks of unstable goods
The Statesman has been inclined to
oppose the parcels post system, as
tending to injure local merchants. but
it must concede that there are some
arguments on the other side and for
this reason it gives space to the views