The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-09-18
ROBSON OPPOSES
 TIE PARCELS POST
Views of an Old PoStoffiCe
 Inspector
IT WOULD BE EXPENSIVE
Plan Would Incur Additional Burden on the Department That Would Re- quire Large Appropriations.
 Express Cheaper and Safer.

The following communication has been received from J. R. Rosson. editor of the Cullman Democrat. Cullman, Ala:
 To the Editor of The Age-Herald
 With the incoming of regulation of rail- road rates by the federal government there Is a feeling, among great many people, that the express companies should be regulated and that the postoffice de- partment should do the greater part of the express business by Congress passing the paroles post act, that has been agi- tated for many years. Having had ten years experience in the express business l desire to submit a few facts for the consideration of the people.
 The minimum charge on merchandise by express is 25 cents, this charge holds, even if the package presented weighs only few ounces; in such instances the express companies charge more than the mail rates. which are one cent an ounce. if, however, the package weighs one pound, the postoffice charges 16 cents, without insurance, the express company charges 9 cents with full insurance up to $50; you can register your package, sent by mail for 8 cents, which brings the postal rate up to 24 cents a pound, with $25 dollars insurance, or just half the insurance gwen Dy Iile bApitSS COillPelhlS's Experience shows that the per cent of packages, weighing pound or less car ried by express companies are too small to figure. They are very rare, even in the larger offices
 On packages weighing two pounds the mail rate Is 1 cent an ounce, or 32 cents, with no insurance. If registered 1t will cost 40 cents, with $25 insurance, the max mum amount for which the government will become responsible. The express charge, to any part of the United States, on two-pound package Is 35 cents, with $50 insurance. This shows saving to the public of cents on a two-pound pack age with double the insurance given by the postoffice department
 A package weighing three pounds costs 45 cents by express, by mail 1t costs 4S cents with the same old story Of no in- surance by mall and insurance up to 800 by express. A four-pound package costs 64 cents by mail, 60 cents by express with the same insurance conditions.
 Minimum Insurance.
 While the maximum insurance the post office department will give Is S25, the ex- press companies insure to any amount for a trif1ing charge. The insurance up to $o0 Is given on every shipment without any charge.
 The express rates, above mentioned ex- cept the charge on packages weighing pound or less, are for long distance hauls. For a fifty mile haul the charge would be $35 cents, or less, on a package weighing twenty pounds: 60 cents on package weighing 100 pounds. Commodities, such as eggs, potatoes etc.. go at much cheapei rates.
 So much for the express side of the question: suppose we had parcels post law. who would pay the freight? It Is clear that with the present postal rates on merchandise the public gets cheaper and safer service from the express companies. Can the government reduce the merchan- disc rates without taxing the people to pay for 1t?
 For the fiscal year ended June 30 1906. the deficit in the postoffice appropriations was. in round numbers, sl4000,0OO. Some will immediately charge this deficit to the rural free delivery of mail, the reports of the postoffice department show that the rural free delivery Is self-sustaining, this contention is borne out by full ng- ures from the rural free delivery branch of that department, and by the fact that the deficit for the past fiscal year Is normal. The deficit occurs every year. With the inauguration of a parcels post every government building in the United States would have to be enlarged to many times its present size; the sites, In most every city, would have to, be changed, as 1t would be absolutely necessary to have the postofflce near the railroad sta- tions, if not the item of transfer from the stations to the postofflces and vice versa would be a very heavy expense. The matter of delivery of packages would be another heavy expense, which would delay the delivery of mails to the su- burbs, and place many thousands of ad- ditlonal mounted carriers and as many thousand extra. high salaried clerks on the government pay rolls. If the govern ment refused to insure packages the peo- pie would be in a deplorable condition, because you cant sue the government. If 1t should insure packages the taxpayers would suffer, as the losses and the ad- indication of them by the government would be very expensive.
 Some will argue that the government can carry express as cheaply as any cor poration Experience shows this Is not true The government pays all It's enl- ployes much more than the average cor poration. everything the national govern sment does is expensive and run on polit- cal instead of business principles. Take the money order business of the post office department for an example. The auditor for the postoffice department shows that the money order business is run at net loss to the government of about $1.000000 per year. In making these figures he fails to include many Items Of expense that are properly chargeable to the money order business, such as rent, light, heat and ianitor service in the gov ernment buildings The money order busi- ness of the Southern Express company shows a handsome profit The rates for money orders are exactly the same at the nostoffice and express office. The maintenance of the money order division of the Birmingham postoffice, for clerk hire alone, costs about s3000 The gross receipts will not go much above $1000 per year.
 Postoffce Deficit.
 In the $140OO,000 deficit of the postoffice department for last year. no account is taken of the items of quarters. light. heat. 1anitor service, scrub women, furniture. repairs, etc. have no information on the subject, but roughly speaking I should say the United States has s2O0,000,00O in- vested in government buildings, used wholly or in part by the postoffces. These buildings are owned by the treasury de- partment and the cost of construction, repairs, furnishing. light, heat, water, janitor service. maintenance of buildings and grounds, inspection by inspectors of buildings etc, is done from separate ap- organizations. not chargeable to the post office appropriations. Other proper charges to the postal establishment is the cost of litigation, attorneys and court