The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1907-12-01

an argument against the Parcels
Post, and as the arguments were
very misleading, l concluded to try
to answer them, and show that the
Parcels Post would be of great benefit
not only to the farmer, but also to
the local merchant, on the rural route.
They argue that almost any article
of merchandise could be made to
come within the prescribed limit OF
eleven pounds, and that the rate would
be much less than freight rates, on
a long haul, hence the long distance
orders would be sent by mail, at
great loss to the Government, while
the short hauls would be at mini
mum in amount, and so work great
expense on the Government, that
would have to be met by tax.
Now as to the use of the mail for
carving merchandise, the advantage
would be with the large department
stores no more than at present, as
NE ratio of time required for service
would be as great then as now, and
quick service would be great argu-
ment in favor of dealing with the
home merchant, and if the home mer-
chant tries to do the fair thing by his
customers, he will still hold their
trade.
The telephone has become very
common thing throughout the farm
ing communities, and the farmers
wife when she wants any small article.
could. if we had a Parcels Post SER
vice, simply go to the phone and give
her order to the home merchant, who
would fill it and send it out to the
country on the first mail delivery,
thus saving the farmer folks a trip
to town for the needed supplies, and
,nsuring a speedy service.
At present, a great many or the
farmer people send to the large de-
partment stores for great deal OF
their needed supplies, and more would
do so if it were not for the time re-
ouired for the goods to be delivered,
and the same would be the case IN
regard to the Parcels Post, and the
latter would have the preference, as
if would deliver the goods directly
tn the home, and save all further trou-
BILE.
Now. we look at this question from
the position of the farmer, and our
arguments will come, mainly, from
that standpoint.
We hold that if the local merchant
will do the fair thing by the farmer he
will hold his trade, but farmers are
beginning to "kick' when they find
that they are paying an exhorbitant
rate of profit to any dealer, and is be-
ginning to look about, to see if he
can find some place, where he can
get his supplies at reduced rate.
He is perfectly willing to give a fair
rate of profit, providing there are not
too many who are wanting such
profit. We wuold, gladly, trade with
our home dealer if we did not feel
that he was trying to get all the
profits and leave us none at all. When
we see the merchants getting rich.
while we are obliged to get along
without the virtual necessities OF life,
we feel that he is taking more than
his share of the profits.
We do not feel that we should be
called upon to provide so many mid
delemen" with living. and the argu-
ment that some of the home dealers
would be put out of business, does not
appeal to our sense of injustice, as,
if there are too many home dealers,
what harm can it do to us or hui
mainly at large, if some of them are
put out of business, and we can get
our goods at a decreased price. We
believe in the old saw, "The greatest
good to the greatest number" and we
believe that the farmer is in the ma
jority, and whenever we can get our
goods at a lower price, we are bene-
fitting the greater number.
The argument was put forth, that
the home dealer would become merely
an agent for the greater department