Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-02-06
Tuesday, February s, 1906
Parcels Post Here and Abroad.

There is nothing new or radical In
urged that the government consolidate
third and fourth class mail matter at
the uniform rate of one cent for two
ounces. This was the law until 1874.
In urging a return to that more con-
venicnt and cheaper system Secretary
Cortelyou says in his latest report.
This could be done without rearrang-
ing the service. All merchandise par
Cels not exceeding four pounds in
weight would continue to be carried in
ordinary pouches and sacks at one-half
the rate now charged. and afford a
great opportunity for distributing
light packages to a multitude OF places
rot reached by express companies and
at 4 charge sufficient to reimburse the
Government for actual carriage" The
United States was one Of the first
OF modern countries to enter upon the
transportation of merchandise by the
post office. The United States parcels
post of 1874, with its uniform rate
eight cents per pound, weight limit
four pounds. preceded the inter-
national parcels postal service Of Eu-
rope, and the domestic parcels post of
France by six years and the English
parcels post, by nine years.
Here is a comparison which shows
the change since the old law was
changed in 1874.
1874. rates on all mcrcEan-
disc DC per POUND
1.T. rates on some classes of
merchandise, print tea
books. cards, etc. adver-
/ tisemcnts or ordinary pa
per. potatoes, peas, beans,
chestnuts, etc, for plant
ing ............................ &c. per pound
1906, rates on other classes of
merchandise, blank books.
cards. etc. advertisements
On bottinS paper. potatoes.
peas. Inc aEs, chcstnuts. Get.
Tor fOou ......................iJ c. per pound
The establishment of parcels post
conventions with foreign countries.
with common rate. twelve cents Il
discrimination in favor of the foreign
or as against the citizen under which
the foreign service costs % per cent
less than the domestic 1t is also Il
notable fact, that under the parcels
post conventions between the United
States AMI countries in the Western
ON IGN Nnr Mt. -
Office transports parcels of merchan-
disc up to eleven pounds, whereas
domestic parcels are limited to four
pounds. Eleven pounds of mcrchan-
disc can be placed in one parcel and
sent to Mexico for s1.32. while, within
the limits of the United States, eleven
pounds. of merchandise must be di-
vidcd into three parcels and pay u tax
of SIG.
Observe also how our postal service
compares today with similar services
Of somc Of the leading countries of
Europe;
France:
pounds Observation-Disclosures. IL
a. pouIaS ..'....-...''....'.-...... y
- POUNDS OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. -
Great Britain:
pounds ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. rs
~ pounds. 1.-TWO parccls) ................ rs
United States:
pounds ttwo parcels Observation-Disclosures. | Il
II pounds Chree parccls) .............. I.1G
~ pounds tsiX parccls) .................. So
The British Colonial Parcels Post
transports parcels to and from Great
Britain and the English Colonies, New
Zealand. etc.
Three pounds ....................eic cents
Seven pounds .......................S cents
EicN'n pounds .......................I2 cents
Our government taxes American
citizens on domestic parcels:
Three pounds Observation-Disclosures. AZ
Eleven pounds 1.-TWO parcels) .......... Il6
III view Of these facts. there is good
reason to hope that the Fifty-ninth
Congress will quickly act upon wide
spread expression OF public opinion in
behalf of the substitution of the simple
and comparatively cheap United
States parcels post of 1874. for the
complex. double headed service (third-
class matter eight cents pound,
fourth-class matter sixteen cents a
pound) Of Today. A reduction in the
general merchandise rate to eight
cents pound will benefit the whole
country.
The New Head Of tt9Army.