Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-25
L|M|TEDPAR CELSPOST
Consolidating Third and Fourth
Class Mail Matter.
ONE CENT FOR TWO OUNCES
Would Be of Great Convenience to
Thousands.
EXPERIMENTS IN THE FUTURE
Postmaster General Tells Why, With
the Present Service, It is Impossi-
BILE to Adopt English System.
EXPERIMENTS IN THE FUTURE
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
Il have asked for the consolidation of
third and fourth-class mail matter said
Postmaster General Cortelyou, with the
present third-class rate of one cent for two
ounces for books, boots and shoes, dry
gceds and other merchandise, and newspa-
pers and periodicals in wrappers which
means parcels-post system, to a certain
extent The weight limit may be increased
and the rate OF postage may be still further
decreased later. Those are matters which
require very serious consideration The
limit of weight in our foreign parcels post
service is eleven pounds-I never understood
why. but of course there was some good
reason for not making 1t ten pounds
twelve pounds. as would be natural for
practical Americans to do.
Perplexing Question Involved.
"Of course we need parcels-post service
in this country. but there are a good many
perplexfng questions involved in the propo-
sition which the public does not understand.
To establish and maintain it in a country
like the United States, where distances
so great and the government is committed
to a uniform rate of postage, regardless OF
distance, would undoubtedly involve either
high rates OF charges would have to
call upon Congress for a deficit for several
years at least. 1t would be difficult to COM
pete with thoroughly organized express
companies, who regulate their charges ac-
cording to distance well to weight If
we should go into the business we would
get all the longdistance packages and
would be compelled to carry them at loss.
while the express companies would under
bid US for the short-distance parcels If we
are to have an effective parcels-post sys-
tern ii should be organized on the same
lines at the express service, with rates SINH
lar to those charged in other countries, and
regulated so as to meet the charges of the
express companies.
For these reasons" continued Mr. Cor
telyou, ft was not deemed wise to recon-
mend Congress to authorize parcels-post
system at present, but | did make an
earnest recommendation that third and
fourth class mail matter be merged and
that the postage be reduced to the rate of
one cent for two ounces. This can be done
without recognizing the service. All par
GELS of merchandise not exceeding four
pounds in weight can be carried as usual in
ordinary pouches and sacks at one-half the
rate now charged which will be sufficient
to reimburse the government for the actual
cost of carriage and afford great conve-
nience to thousands of people at multitudes-
OF places that are not now reached by the
express companies. We can gradually ex-
tend the system and in the event of favor
able action by Congress on the general
question of a parcels-post we could intro
duce experimental service in certain ter
ritorieS. a between Chicago and various
points In the adjacent states.
Several Bills in Congress.
There Is no doubt that public sentiment
is in favor of parcels post, although village
merchants are likely to oppose it for fear
it will interfere with their trade by enabling
their customers to do shopping through the
mails. There are several propositions now
pending in Congress for a parcels post
Several bills have been introduced into both
houses for reduction of postage mer-
chanGise and for an increase of the weight
limit. For example, one bill proposes the
following rates:
Parcels up to 8 ounces ............... cent
Between ounces and / pound. ......... 2 cents
between pound and 10 pounds .......... 3 cents
Between 10 pounds and 20 pounds. 49,. 10 cents
Between 20 pounds and 80 pounds. 10 cents
between 80 pounds and so pounds. ...... 30 cents
and so on up to 81 hundred pounds which
is believed to be as much as one man can
handle. But TO handle such m all, we would
have to have an entirely new organization
in connection with our free delivery service
because our carriers already have as much
weight as they can carry. We would have
to have wagons and horses and l am quite
sure that the present accommo da tons in
nearly all of our cities of $500 inhabitants
and over would be insufficient They are
already crowded with the ordinary business
Fine Work of the Service.
'The record made by the postal service
during the Christmas holidays shows what
it IS capable of, however. in handling pack
ages of merchandise There was never so
severe test before, and notwithstanding
the fact that an enormous quantity of extra
letters, post cards and packages were
thrown upon us, beginning with the 2osh of
December and lasting until after New
Year, there was not the slightest con-
fusion or delay. Every days business was
cleared up and every package was started
on its journey before the offices were closed,
and the deliveries were just as prompt and
thorough. We did not get swamped anv-
where. No carrier failed TO make his regu-
lar deliveries on time, although loaded down
with as much weight as he could carry.
We beat the express companies in time and
promptness Of delivery throughout the en-
tire holiday season, and If you had taken
the troCble to inspect their offices and COM
pare them with the post offices during the
holiday season, you would appreciate the
zeal and loyalty and the hard work that
was. done by our men.
Postmaster General Cortelyou has been
making some Important improvements In
the railway mails service-that most impor-
tant that have occurred for several years.
and they affect all business men, east and
west, in Europe, Asia and Africa By in
creasing speed on the Burlington and
Northwestern roads between Chicago and
Omaha, and on the Union and Southern
Pacific roads between Omaha and San Fran
cisco, twenty-four hours time is saved on
both east-bound and west-bound mail. Con-
nection is made with this train at Green
River expediting mail for Oregon. WASH
ington and Idaho twelve hours. And con-
nections with the new Clark line at Salt
Lake City give the people of Los Angeles
and other points in southern California the
advantage Of another business day. Until
now the round trip between New York and
San Francisco took nine days. At present
and hereafter it will be seven days This
advantage Is enjoyed by the mails for and
from both Europe and ASIA
The Frisco Railroad Company has also
agreed to put on faster mail trains from ST.
Louis. which will shorten the schedule to
Oklahoma. Texas and Mexico at least twelve
hours both ways, and the mail will arrive
at st. Louis in the morning in time for de-
livery at the banks and mercantile houses
before the beginning of business.
Mr.. Madden's Views.
Third Assistant Postmaster General Mad
den Is not in favor of the immediate adop-
ton OF parcels-post system for reasons
which he gives ut is physically impossi-
Bile for carriers to handle any more mail
than they do today" He says: I'VE can
not burden them any more than they are
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