Los Angeles herald., 1907-11-03

A PARCELS
POSTLAW w
OBJECTIONS OF RETAILERS
WILL BE MET
WILL BE A BOON TO OUR RURAL
POPULATION
Postmaster General Won Meyer Out
lines Plan for Overcoming Obsta-
cIes-Wants Postal Savings
Bank System


AT the recent convention of the New
England Postmasters association In Bos-
ton Postmaster General George l.. Won
Meyer made it plain that he might be
depended upon to use the power of his
office to induce congress to adopt meas
ures for the establishment of parcels
post service along the lines demanded
by the people. regardless of the opposi-
tion offered by the express companies
and the country retail merchants. Other
reforms advocated by him are highly
desirable, but the most important con-
sideration of all at this time Is the es-
tablishment of system of transfer of
small parcels by the federal service that
will relieve the millions of Americans
of the burdens imposed upon them by
the express companies. Postmaster Cen
eral Won Meyers speech follows:
Postmasters of New England: Some
one has said: Uncle Sam meets his
folks face to face at the postoffice." 1t
was in order that 1 might have the
pleasure of meeting the postmasters face
to face that 1 accepted the invitation of
this association.
1t is the post which brings people from
all parts of the world into communica-
ton with each other. In 1859 the gen
eral court of Massachusetts ordained
that Richard Fairbanks house in Boston
should be the place for all letters. Ben
jamln Franklin, the father of our post
office, was appointed postmaster at Phil
adelphia in 1877 and in 1853 he was ap-
pointed deputy postmaster general for
the colonies. The continental congress
made him postmaster general and au-
thorized him to establish postoffices from
Maine to Georgia.
Washington in 1889 appointed Samuel
Osgood of Massachusetts the first post
master general of the United States. At
that time there were but 70 postoffices.
The rate of postage was cents for 80
miles and up to 25 cents for 450 miles.
Today there are 62,659 postoffices and an
equal number of postomasters. The rate
of postage Is 2 cents an ounce for first
class mail addressed to people living In
North America or in our insular pos
SESSIONS and cents an ounce on first
class matter for other parts of the world.
1t is surprising and gratifying that there
are so few errors, when we consider that
we are distributing in the United States
about thousand million letters and
postal cards month.
The expenditures for 1906 were $17S,-
a4J, 1909, lHt ItCelplS 9lOi,Jo1, io6JOS Tue
deficit being $10,516, ,995 "a. Judging from
the figures of the first three quarters and
the estimate for the last quarter of the
fiscal year ended June 80. 1907 (the exact
figures will not be available until the
end of this month), there is every in
dication that the deficit will be reduced
TO about seven million dollars for that
year. Consequently / do not propose to
advocate the raising of rates, because
] believe that the weighing of all mail
matter which is now being carried on
under the authorization of congress will
show when we take into consideration
the franking privilege and make proper
charge on the books for the mail matter
distributed for the various departments,
| that the postoffice department is not
chargeable for much of a deficit.
The history of the rural delivery is
| an interesting one and should be under
stood by our people. for the reason that
there is a feeling prevalent in many
| parts of the country that this service
| is an extravaganza and an unnecessary
drain upon the department. However
| let us look at the results accomplished
| in the last ten years; The first rural
route was established in the fall of 1896
Fifteen thousand dollars were expended
during that fiscal year, the postal deficit
being eleven and one-half million dollars
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 1907
the expenditures for rural delivery were
| twenty-seven million dollars and the es
| timated postal deficit showed decrease
as compared with 1897, of about four and
one-half million dollars, the total being
about seven million dollars. This is an
undoubted evidence, to my mind, thai
while the expense incurred in connection
with rural delivery is enormous, yet Il
has increased the receipts and the bene'
fits to our people cannot be measured II
dollars and cents. The isolation which
existed in many parts of the country
has been overcome; the people are II
daily communication with their friends tr
the rest of the world; the daily papers
and magazines come to the door of every
farm house on the rural routes and en-
lightenment and information are being
spread broadcast throughout the land
Medical men have said that already the
establishment of the rural service is
having its effect upon the mentality Of