The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-12-24
Kansas Delegation Can Likely
Prevent the Move.
PARCEL POST.
Kansas Congressman Are Being
Flooded With Protests.
Small Merchants Say 1t Would
Destroy Their Trade.

1
any effort to abolish the Topeka pen
! sion agency as recommended by Secre-
/ tary Garfield. This matter came up
| in last congress on similar recon-
mendation made by the commissioner
of pensions through the secretary of
the interior. The purpose was to
establish central disbursing agency
| here in connection with the pension
office. Senator Long at that time.
| through cooperation with other states
affected, was able to defeat the abol-
! ishment.
The contention of the pension Off
| GERS and the interior officials is that a
central payment office here would be
a great saving to the government.
This has never been conclustvely
much delay to soldiers in receiving
checks. The Topeka agency, COM
prising Kansas, Missouri, Colorado.
Oklahoma, New Mexico distributes
annually more than SIT ,000,000 and in
amount and number of pensioners is
the largest agency in the country.
The opposition to the proposed par
GELS post legislation from Kansas Is
becoming more and more pro ronounced.
Kansas members are receiving almost
daily remonstrances from merchants.
farmers and others; and petitions are
being filed in both senate and house
of representatives against the pro-
posed legislation.
Representative Anthony. who was
announced some time since in connec-
ton with his presentation to the post
master general of evidence that the
express companies were making low
rates and thereby meeting present
postal rates in transportation to small
Kansas towns of merchandise. as
favoring parcels post legislation.
stated just before he left for Kansas
a few days ago that he had not made
up his mind on the general subject b.
any means. Mr.. Anthony said:
Il do favor low transportation
charges, whether postal. express. or
freight. because low cost of transporta-
ton is in the interest of all the people;
but there has been no system of par
GELS post yet advanced which meets
with my unqualified approval. l shall
support no parcels post measure which
would discriminate against the country
merchant in any manner"
Tt Is understood that Representative
Madison subscribes to the same views.
as Mr.. Anthony, having so expressed
himself in private conversation. Mr..
Madison so far has not made any pub
lie declaration on the subject.
1t is also stated on good authority
that the present membership of the
house committee on postoffices and
postroads is not favorable to parcels
post legislation or postal savings bank
legislation, even of the modified kind
recommended in his annual report by
the postmaster general Mr.. Murdock
of Kansas is a member of this COM
mittee.
The views of Senator Long on this
question are well known. He has in
dustriously sought expression fru1l
farmers, rural route patrons, small
merchants. and others Interested and
has obtained, by personal expression
and by letter and by resolution and
petition, the views of many different
sections of the state. Attention has
been heretofore called to the fact that
he presented in the senate the other
day the very pronounced views of the
Hutchinson Commercial club on this
subject, the club having debated the
question one evening not long since and
passed a resolution against the pro-
posed legislation.
Senator Long also has presented to
the senate well signed petition, among
the protestants being prominent mer-
chants and citizens, of Osawatomie,
against parcels post, on the ground that
it meant in the end the ruination Of
small town merchants.
Also he has received a communica-
ton from the Gray county Commercial
club, through Mr.. c. NJ Weeks, of
Cimarron, an officer of the club. and a
well-known citizen of the town, which
argues clearly and strongly against the
parcels post This communication was
read in the senate and referred to the
committee on postoffices and postroads,
upon the request of Senator Long.
The communication of Mr.. Weeks fol-
lows:
THE merchants and business men of
this town do not want any more parcels
lures of that bill seem all right they
believe it to be the entering wedge to
build up catalogue houses and kill the
small merchants in small towns Ike
this.
I'VE must remember that we live in
Kansas and that this part Of Kansas
is strictly agricultural and cattle coun-
try; that we have no mines and no
manufacturing establishments to sup
port and build up our towns: and that
our towns must have the trade of the
farmers and cattlemen that surround
them, or they will in time, become
dead barnacles on the map OF Kansas.
History tells US that, at one time.
all roads led to Rome, and that all
tribes and countries subject to Rome
paid tributes to Romans: the result
was of building up great Rome, but
at the expense and decay of all the sur
rounding country.
THE catalogue houses are today
sapping the life blood out of the best
part of the cash trade for small light
weight manufactured goods trade and
goods that bear a good profit.
From this part of the country this
cash is sent to Chicago and Kansas
City to build up Rome there. and
never to return to Kansas-where IL
was produced-to build up and
beautify our small Kansas towns
eff the towns of Kansas could have
all the support from the country sur
rounding them, we would have better
towns, larger and better-selected
stocks of goods, more concentrated
wealth at home to help bear the bur-
den of taxes; more surplus to support
the church and school, and by far a
better land to live in, and an increase