The Mena weekly star., 1907-11-07
- PARCELS POST AND IftE COUNTRY MERCHANT

i
 Postmaster General Meyer has followed in the footsteps of many predecessors in advocating the es- tablishment of Parcels Post in the United States similar to that now in effect in most of the nations of the earth. The Star has long favored this extension of the postal system, firmly believing that it is for the good of the greatest number, and that it would long ago have been in use but for the power maintained in Congress by the great express com panies, which are enabled to charge unreasonable rates for the service they render the people. The Star has also believed and does believe that there is no greater harm can be done the country than by the exten- sion of the mail-order system adopt ed by many institutions in the large cities, and it is pleasant to note that the recommendations of Mr. Mey CT deal directly with that feature, and that should they be followed the country merchant will have nothing to fear from that source in the establishment of the parcels post. The following is the principal part of Mr, Meyers remarks on this topic, made recently before the New England Postmasters Associa- tion:
 Two interests are opposing the extension of parcels post in this countrywide express companies and the country retail merchants. The latter fear that the mail-order houses will derive benefit to their own disadvantage. It is in connection with the country reatail merchants that 1 desire to speak especially.
 T propose to recommend the establishment of a parcels post on rural routes which will meet the objections of the small storekeepers and retailers. This will be boon to our rural population, and to the storekeeper, as the latter can receive his orders by mail or telephone and dispatch merchandise by the rural carrier. The farmer will be saved hitching up his horse and losing the time he needs for planting and har- vesting his crops, and it will enable the storekeeper to increase his sales and meet the requirements of mod ern trade. If my recommendation are adopted, it will cost 12 cents a pound for the mail-order house to send parcels to the rural delivery patron from any city postoffice, while for delivery from the distribut- ing office of the rural route, or if mailed by a patron of any rural route for delivery to patron on the same route, or at the distributing postofiice of said route, the charge will be but cents for the first pound and 2 cents for each addition al pound pto II pounds, or 25 cents for package weighing II pounds.
 I am also considering the advisa- bility of recommending local par cel-post delivery at city free-deliv- cry postofiices, but in order to install such a system it will be necessary to obtain from Congress a special ap- propriation to acquire wagons or automobiles to do the required haul ing. As already stated, there is a parcel post existing in the United States today, but at rate of Is cents per pound and limit of 4 pounds. The object of my recom- mendation to Congress will be to get a decrease that will meet the rates charged for parcels sent by post to other countries. In other words, a reduction of 4 cents a pound, and an increase in weight which will compare in some measure to that which has been adopted by other highly civilized nations. An ll-pound limit will, however, be far from the maximum established by France (22 pounds), Germany Q10 pounds), and Belgium (132 pounds.