The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-01-03
MERGER
OF POSTAL RATES
Plan Submitted in Congress In
tended to Simplify Mail
Package Problem.
BY w. w. Jermane,

Washington, Jan. "a compromise
has been submitted to the postal COM
mittees of congress on the long-stand-
ing proposal to, consolidate third and
fourth class matter, and that is to
merge the two wherever the parcel
weighs less than one pound, but to
leave the existing difference in rates on
all parcels weighing between one and
four pounds, the present merchandise
limit. At first sight this would seem
like a needless complication, but prac-
tically it would simplify matters.
The trouble with the present rate Of
IS cents a pound on merchandise and
other than printed publications, is that
the two classes are constantly overlap
ping, especially in the small parcels.
Is a card showing samples of paint
third or fourth class? AS a printed
card it would go as third class; as SAM
pies Of paint it would go as fourth. The
department has ordinarily attempted to
compromise reasonably, but this is not
always easy to do.
Express People Opposed.
For many years the heads of the
postoffice department. have recon-
mended the consolidation Of the third
and fourth-class rates, but the express
companies are too heavily entrenched in
lative project. There is, moreover, a
deep-seated opposition to parcel post
or to steps that lead in that direction
It is obvious that at 8 cents pound
instead Of 16, the government would do
a greatly increased business in carry.
ing merchandise. Who~is going to move
it? Must the carriers be provided with
rural districts9 A general wagon ser.
vice would mean an enormous enlarge.
ment of the scope and cost Of the postal
establishment. ~
Merger Of Rates.
The department. accordingly sug.
gests for the consideration of congress
rates might to advantage be made on
small parcels. It is there that nearly
all the confusing complications now
come. One-pound packages would not
greatly weigh down the carriers, nor
their diversion be a serious blow to the
express companies. t.'.
Still, the larger probabilities are that
congress will do nothing on this sub:
the man who had chad the most Ger.
s., tifcates to the senate and the fewest
ID. seats' Of anybody he had ever known
finds a parallel in this Recommendation
for the consolidation of the third and
/ fourth-class postal rates. It has had
the most Endorsements and the fewest
I votes of any measures presented in 8
long time.
| Rural Mail Project.
The attitude Of the government
towards the parcel-carrying business is
brought acutely to the front by the
rural delivery establishment. The
wagons need to be filed, and the public
will find ways to: do it. The recon
mendation Of the postmaster genera
that parcels weighing not more thar
five pounds be conveyed on the route
from the initial office at cents 6
pound, or from one patron of the route
to another, seems simple enough. Tt is
however, not without it's complications
It would presumably lead the shops Of
1 the towns which were the initial point!
Of the delivery route, to send out guam
titles Of goods to the scattered point
to which it does not pay them to rul
a regular service. Manv of these post
offices lack facilities for including !;
large parcel distributing business
! Probably the plan will be tried expert
mentally before it is everywhere au
thorized to- get some idea Of how gen
orally it meets public needs.