Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-10-18
WILL Be GREAT Fight
Postmaster General Forsees Wig
orous Contest Over Pet Par
cells Post Scheme
SAYS IT WOULD BE POPULAR
Meyer Declares System Must Come
Claims 1t Would Bring Cheaper Ser
vice and More Revenue - Appeal
Against Hill-Lumbermen w. Rail-
roads.

WASHINGTON, Oct 1S.-A great fight
will occur during the coming session OF
congress over the parcels post propo-
sition.
Postmaster General Won Meyer is
committed to parcels post and While
he admits that bill providing for such
a system will be vigorously opposed.
he says that he feels convinced that
the best interests Of the country de-
mand it and that it must come.
In reply to the principal objections
that have been heretofore raised by the
retail merchants in the smaller towns
Of the country that parcels post Is
in the interest of the big catalog houses
Of the larger cities, Postmaster General
Won Meyer says that the system ne
proposes to establish will make good
to all country merchants, even at the
smallest cross-road town.
In other words. the new postmaster
general would make the parcels post
very popular by extending its provis-
ions to all rural free delivery routes In
the country, thus enabling the small
merchants to deal with their country
customers at a small expense, and at
the same time saving the farmers
many trip to towns and villages.
Briefly stated, the proposed parcels
post system will admit to the mails
parcels and packages of a weight OF
eleven pounds, maximum postage 70
be IL cents pound (four pounds Is
now the maximum at Is cents q pOund)
and a local service on rural delivery
routes at 5 cents a pound, with cents
for every additional pound up to
eleven. This local service will be con-
fined to each rural route and cannot
be extended beyond it. Mr.. Won Meyer
believes this, If adopted, will make the
rural delivery Of mail self-sustaining,
and the postal service as whole would
probably create a surplus.
Postmaster Won Meyer claims that an
extension Of the parcels post in the
United States would be enormously
facilitated by the use Of telephones.
Telephone wires have followed In the
wake of the rural free delivery wagon.
The postage is now too expensive ana
the limit of the package too small. but
instead of four-pound package Tor 10
cents, let there be an eleven-pound
package for 25 cents, and the rural
routes will do a rushing business;
rural patrons will telephone to town
for half the things they want-for
hardware, groceries and dry goods
and in turn will be sending - town
butter, cheese eggs and vegetables. A
great saving of time in many branches
of the industry win be possible under
the extension that Mr.. Won Meyer
wants. 1t would be a boon to manu-
facturers of great varieties Of small ar
ticles.
The postmaster general refuses to
consider whether this would injure the
express companies. He approaches the
matter purely as a parcels post extern
sion that should give postal patrons
quicker and cheaper service.
In the supreme court Of the United
States an appeal was filed in the suit
of Clarence H. Venner, of New York
to compel j. j. Hill, president Of the
Great Northern railway, to restore to
the plaintiff as owner Of 300 shares
of the Great Northern stock, as we'll as
to the other stockholders of that com
pany, the profit of $1O,o0O,o00 which
Hill is alleged to have made by pur-
chasing in 1900 and 1901 $25,O0O,000
worth Of Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
railroad stock at an average of $3.50 a
share and then selling it to his own
company for 5000 a shore.
&c Qc1SaH fN
mand the suit back for trial to the SUI
preme court of the state of New York,
where it was originally brought In May,
1907. At that time, on petition of the
defendant, the suit was taken to the
circuit court for the Southern district
Of New York OH the ground of adverse
citizenship. The court dismissed the
suit on the ground that the plaintiff
did not own his interest in the Great
Northern company at the time the in
Jury complained Of occurred. It is al
legged that it is not necessary for this
showing in the state courts Of New
York.
Pacific coast lumber manufacturers
have united with the lumbermen all
over the United States in attempts to
compel the railroads to provide stakes
for the fiat cars used in transporting
lumber. This item, apparently unim-
portant, is alleged to amount to $4,000
900 annually Shippers claim that the
stakes are legitimately portion of the
railroad equipment, which railroads
should furnish.
At present when car reaches its
destination the stakes are thrown away
and new ones must be provided for
each shipment. This matter has been
brought to the attention of the inter-
state commerce commission, which will
take it up Wednesday next, on which
date the railroads will make answer
to the demand Of the lumbermen. The
commission is also giving attention to
the question of car shortage, it being
reported that the railroads are not
making an earnest effort to meet the
situation. AS an instance Of the ben
eft even the small reductions are to
shippers, it is stated at the office of the
commission that the cut of 10 cents
per hundred weight on oranges was
worth sS40,OOO on $4,000 cars, compris-
ing California's annual output of that
fruit.
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