Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1907-10-11
THE PARCELS POST.

Heretofore ii has been assumed that
the opposition to a parcels post came
from the express companies, but when
the practical questions Of transporta-
ton and hadlng parcels were consid-
cred by the postal officials. they were
staggered by the physical and financial
difficulties that confronted them They
then realized that this is big country
and that uniform postage rate, which
would be practicable IN other countries
would be rutnous II attempted here.
Postmaster General Meyer proposes
TO rush in where every one OF his
predecessors feared to tread He pro-
poses TO reduce trst-class rates to for
eign countries. TO extend facilities. to
furnish evening deliveries, to establish
postal savings banks and parcels post
everywhere.
During the last fifteen years every
Postmaster General has been frightened
by the one-cent rate for second-class
matter but the present incumbent an
nounces positively that he will not ad-
vocate the increase Of the rates on any
class Of mail matter. The counting of
the cost may check his enthusiasm for
expansion of the system. parcels
post is possible in Great Britain. but
the longest run in Great Britain Is 400
miles In the United States the longest
run Is $500 miles. Shall the United
States carry nine times as far as Great
Britain for the same money? Britain
makes profit Of $22 600, 900 per an
mum on its postal service and il serves
a territory of 120, 000 square miles, while
the mail routes i'm the states serve an
area of $1,000 600 square miles, or twenty
five times That Of Great Britain. The
railway routes in Great Britain measure
10000 miles, while those of the United
States are over 200, 900 miles. in addition
to 2ls,0OO miles OF star route service, and
$4,000 miles OF other service The mile
age Of our mail cars is thirty-three times
greater than that of Great Britain, where
there is population of 331 to the mile.
against % in the United States. Great
Britain paid $S,S39.510 in 1898 for trans
portation over 20, 600 miles, whereas the
United states paid s34. 7O3. 900 for trans
portation over 10000 miles. In 1905 the
United States paid over ffty-two millions
for railroad transportation and seventy
one millions for all forms of transporta-
ton. Great Britain paid SAL to the mile
for transporting mails. We paid $l9S TO
the mile.
Within an area of $50 miles the United
states mails at present cannot compete
with the express commpanles. Within
that zone the government gets only that
business other than letter mail which the
express companies will not accept. Out
side of that area, where there is no profit
in the business, everything is turned
over to the government for transporta-
ton. At present the government loses
Si5 600 per annum on rural delivery,
star route transportation. and Thanking.
II, however, it added a parcels post sys-
TEN, its losses would be increased $780,
O00, 900 per annum.
Mail transportation is paid on the basis
OF the ton per mile carried. A parcels
post with an increase in the limit of
weight from to s or 10 pounds, as
proposed by Mr.. Meyer would open wide
the doors to the operations of mail order
houses in the big cities and tend TO
destroy the small stores in towns and
villages. 1t would encourage combina-
lions Of supply men that would provoke
hostile legislation in many directions.
II the zone system should be tried
the government could not compete with
express companies in those zones, and II
could only obtain the business by es-
tablishing a monopoly in parcels as It
now does in letters. In that event how
should the railroads be paid for their
services? On the ton per mile basis?
Or the space basis? Should parcels go
on fast trains or freight trains? Should
every passenger train carry parcels as II
now carries letters-[New York Times.