Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-07

dict that every state association of retail
merchants in New England will recon
slider it's vote Of opposition and all vote
its approval"
Mr.. Winter also gave an interview to
the newspapers, in which he said: The
only opposition to such proposal tpar-
GELS posD as that made by Mr. Meyer VIII
come from such houses as seek to put
fraudulent goods before the public.
against which we have been fighting. 1
have been visiting conventions In New
England for a year past and am In close
touch with the rural sentiment. There
has never before been a parcels post bill
which the farmers have Endorsed. But
bill along the lines suggested by Mr.
Meyer will not only meet every objection
we have had to previous bills, but Will
| moreover, give us more than we would
have dared ito ask for
Mr.. d. NJ. Carr, editor of the Omaha
Trade Exhibit writes in the same tone
and says: The Trade Exhibit l am
pleased to state. IS the first trades paper
in the United States to approve your po-
sition as to parcels post. During the past
four years | believe / have circulated
more anti-parcels post literature than any
| other Individual in the United States. All
my work has been directed against the
establishment of any parcels post system
that would be unfair to the etail mer
chants; but after a most careful study of
the plan you propose l cannot discover a
single objection. Rather, a parcels post
extension. as you propose, will be helpful
to enterprising retailers. and will assist in
the building up Of home industries in the
so-called agricultural towns
Mr.. Meyer has received many letters Of
the same sort from people who have hlth-
erto opposed the project and who are
responsible for its defeat at different
times in the past. The proposed reduction
Of rates from 10 to ~ cents pound on
fourih-class matter will, of course. be OBJ
| jected to by the express companies, and
Senator Plat. who is president of the
United States Express Company. may be
expected to resist the passage of the bill,
as usual But that fact ought to be con-
sidered sound argument in its favor.
Country Merchants Not Menaced.
The rates proposed by Mr.. Meyer are
the same as those authorized by the par
cells post treaties we now have with
thirty-two different foreign countries.
Anybody can send a package weighing
eleven pounds to any part of the world
at the rate Of IL cents a pound. except
from point in the United States to
another, when the rate is 10 cents
pound. The people of Washington can
send a package to Calcutta cheaper than
they can send it to Baltimore or Rich
mond Mr.. Meyer proposes to eliminate
that discrimination, and will submit
bill for the action of Congress providing
for the same rate, and the same limit of
weight for all parcels, whether intended
| for delivery in this country in any
other country. That will call for re-
ductlon of cents pound in the postage
| and increase of seven pounds in the
weight of the package permitted in the
domestic mails.
Mr.. Meyer has disarmed the opposition
from the country merchants by recon-
mendng a special rate of cents for tbs
first pound and cents for each add
tional pound for all packages sent and
delivered on the same rural route. This
will not apply to packages originating in
the large cities, but will enable farmers
to order their household supplies at the
country stores by telephone and postal
cards, and have them delivered for
nominal cost. A package weighing five
pounds will be delivered for 13 cents;
package of eleven pounds for % cents.
Mr.. Meyer is convinced that this will
benefit the country merchant by increas-
ing his trade; 1t will benefit the farmer
by promoting convenience and economy in
trading; 1t will benefit the postmaster by
increasing his compensation; 1T Will bene-
fit the rural delivery service by in
creasing the revenues, and partially max
ing up for the deficit in the appropri
atoms There are now in operation more
than 5000 rural routes free, and the
cost last year was more than $35, 900, 900.
Postal Savings Bank.
1t doesn't need much argument to con-
vince anybody Of the need and advan-
tage of a postal savings bank system in
this country Any person who has taken
| the trouble to study the operation of
postal savings banks of European coun-
| tries and Canada Will recognize their
! benefits instantly but Mr.. Meyer, in his
| investigation of the subject, has brought
out some new facts and arguments of
great Importance. He has discovered that
the millions Of immigrants who have re-
Gently come to the United States and are
| earning large wages are investing their
savings in postal money orders, because
| they have been in the habit of intrustlng
their savings to their governments In the
countries from which they came, and that
| is the only way they can do 1t In the United
| States Mr.. Meyer estimates that 81,
600, 600 was sent by newly arrived immi-
grants by money orders to Europe
| during the last year. Italians. Hungarl-
| ans. Austrians and others who, being
suspicious of our private institutions, are
sending their earnings home in order that
| they may be placed in the banks of their
native countries Mr.. Meyer proposes to
! explain the details of his bill to the peo-
pie of Chicago and ask their approval
| and support.