Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1906-12-14
n INFAMOUS MEASURE
post Bill Would Ruin the
Parse" III merchants Of the United
States.

OkubSDs
!. every session Of congress the
~ ~ and contemplate mail order
rulno o are endeavoring to get through
nUuVI Sil, for cheap parcels post that they
sOli' do the business Of the whole
may nanvtry, kill the towns and small
coun !.1aa and ruin the prices of farm
cl'eI These death-dealing octopus
lsuo' oeros that are boarding their
cOu n,;oos Of ill-gotten gain, robbed
sn, .p tbe Door but honest toiling people
liV tba land, are always on the alert
u w. chance to strike the blow that
aons y. death to the small Legitimate
a;+utions of the land and to the
"ns luD II seems they will go at any
,Onrth to accomplish their desired
Dnda % We must be ever ready to fight
tsom Their game is to have packages
Ito eleven pounds carried through
ths w length and breadth of the land for
os cents. Just think Of 1t. A parcel
Doot in the United States would be an
pSlenhant. This goes without saying,
U nSen the extensive territory is con-
.idered. Tt smacks of pauper labor.
uowever. that is not what they mean.
with them it is, "Who cares for ex-
renAes as long as the taxpayer pays
tho hill" Should the scheme succeed
y means that Post, the enemy of labor
and the man who wants the grocers to
handle his products for nothing while
bo walks off with all the profits, would
roceive innumerable orders like this :
nEnclosed find check for $1.00 for
which mail me ten pounds Of your
patept mush." A few days thereafter
the postman woud deliver to the cook
in a mining camp at the foot of Mt.
Hood or Mt. st. Helens or some other
out OF the way place, the mush. This
might cost the government dollar or
two dollars for the service that would
cost Mr.. Post but 25 cents.
Should the scheme succeed it would
practically wipe out distances, ruin
and revolutionize business, and Gold
smiths Deserted Villages" by the
thousands would be dotted here and
there all over the land, markets for
grain and produce would become
farther and farther away and ruin
would be marked on every hand. Mail
order houses would do tremendous
business, ranscontinental mail trains
would supplant freight trains, and
four, six and eight horse freight
wagons the stage coach, and the
annual postal deficit would run up in
to hundreds of millions.
"The Postal Progress is preparing
to make a whirlwind campaign this
fall, says the Iron Age. Heretofore
the league has been obliged to depend
on the subscription of its own mem
beIs. This winter, however, il seems
to be literally supplied with funds
and Secretary Cowles is making
tour of the country obtaining indorse-
ments of misguided business oIgani-
cations. Whence cometh this money
for carrying on this campaign?
Doubtless from the would-be bene-
fciaries, the principal ones being the
iobbing and mail order houses in the
East.
Our infant Industries who are
obliged to buy their raw material in
the East would not be able to compete
with their Eastern rivals were it not
that the freight rates on the finished
product offset the freight rate on raw
material, and that the coast house can
supply its customers with goods in
small quantities and within few
days notice. In spite of the present
high transcontinental rates Eastern
jobbers and mail-order houses do a
large mail and express business on
the Coast. The latter send catalogues
into every nook and corner and quote
prices the country merchant cannot
meet. The merchant tells his customer
that his price is as low if not lower,
when transportation at 16 cents per
pound is added to the catalogue price.
Travelling statesmen of Eastern houses
meet those of the Coast in the fight for
trade; one harps on low prices, the
other on cheap transportation and
quick delivery in any quantity.
Competition is keen, margins of profits
are cut closely, and freight and ex-
press rates are carefully considered
by both buyer and salesman. The
struggle would soon be at an end
should the rates from New York to
Salem be made the same as from Port
land. But distances at present make
That impossible unless the Govern
ment should step IN and pay the
difference. Standard Oil and the
packers obtained favors from the
railroads which enable them to crush
their rivals. Should congress extend
similar courtesles to the great COM
mercial interests in the East?-Cor-
Wallis News.