Evening star., 1907-10-24
GREETEDW|TH CHEERS
Postmaster General Ad-
dresses Convention
ON THREE SPECIAL TOPICS
Among These Extension Of Parcels
Post and Postal Savings Banks.
ILLUSTRATES HIS THEORIES
Opposition to Parcels Post Consid-
ered-Statistics Regarding the
Effect of the System.

Postmaster General Meyer addressed
the joint conventions Of postmastcrs OF
the second third and fourth classes III
Odd Fellows Hall this morning. When
Mr.. Meyer stepped upon the stage the
audience OF six hundred arose and cneered
him repeatedly. With the Postmaster
General were his private secretary, DR.
John A Holmes. Third Assistant Post
master General I.awshe Fourth Assistant
Postmaster General De Graw. Chief Clerk
NJ o. Chance and Chief Inspector Vick-
cry.
The meeting was called to order by
President Jameson of the Fourth ella ss
Postmasters Association. after which
John W. Cass of Woonsocket. r. l.. chair
man of the executive committee of the
Second and Third Glass Postma asters' AS
sOciation. introduced the Postmaster Cen
eral who was cheered again as he ad
vanCed to the front of the stage TO begin
his address.
Mr. Chairman. ladies' and gentlemen
OF the Joint convention. said Mr. Meyer
II regret that il was impossible for me TO
give you personal greeting at the open
ing of your convention. but | feel less
badly about il since you had the pleasure
OF being welcomed by Mr.. McCleary. 1t
will be imposs ble for to make any
extended remarks. for l have been suffer
Ing with bronchial trouble and lost my
voice last week. ! have found 1t again.
temporarily. but l have to be very care
full. | shall. therefore be unable to answer
any questions from the platform, hut
urge you to write to me personal letters
about anything that you do not under
stand and the letters will receive my st
tention.
Three Special Matters.
There are three special matters TO
which l wish to direct your attention this
morning. They are the extension of the
present parcel post, the creation of
parcel post on rural free delivery routes.
and the establishment of postal savings
banks.
THE parcel post exists today. What l
shall recommend TO Congress is that the
Post Office Department be given author
ity' to abolish an injustice to our people.
q policy that is un-AmeriCan, namely,
that of charging 16 cents a pound on par
GELS which are sent TO our own citizens.
when only II cents pound is charged on
parcels sent 10 foreign countries To il
lustrate: package weighing four pounds
II mailed from here, or from your own
Office. destined to New York city. would
D. chargeable at the rate of Ii cents a
pound. while if it is TO go to a foreign
country the rate would be II cents d
pound. | am asking for reduction of
4 cents pound in order to equaliz3 the
rate. | am also advocating increase
in the weight limit % eleven pounds be
cause that is the maximum which is a.
lowed 10 twenty-five foreign countries
with which We have parcel post conven-
uons.
Hitherto there have been two classes
80 to speak. opposed 10 the parcels post.
The first Is the express companies. to
whom | do not feel obliged to offer any
apologies The second is the retail or
country storekeeper propose to look out
for him.
Objections Met
I'm the past the country retail merchant
has been opposed 10 the extension of the
parcels post because he felt that it would
work 10 bis disadvantage. In my recon-
mendations TO Congress for the establish
ment OF parcels post on rural routes. I
nave met the objection of the retail rner-
ctAnt ana the country storekeeper. Tha
rate which / advocate is ) cents for the
t nrst pound and 2 cents for each addi-
tonal pound. or 25 cents for an eleven
pound package. This will enable the
farmer and the patron of the rural route
70 oroer MS supplies by telephone or pos
.aI caro- when 1t Is not feasible for him
eWSys 10 drive to the town.
Ihus the big mail order house will
Nafe 10 pay *l32 to send an eleven-pound
package which would cost the storekecn-
send ' - eellS 10
What does this mean? 1t means that
the ease with which the farmer can pro-
cure merchandise will cause Increased
t.ohsumption. This Will give increased
trade TO the country store to the Whale
safe dealer. and. finally, increased busi
Iress 10 the postmaste-. Let me read Won
rev figures bearing on the benefits
,oaS, VIII accrue to, fourth-class post
A"e~'ers uhder This proposed system
Compensation Increased.
June 81, lSo0. there We're Al 800 post
masters Of fourth-class offices recajv,ns
>-"o or less per annum, and I3.5n3 post-
master or fourth-class offices rccejvino
sV' or less per annum. The adoptiop of
parcel post would increase their comnan-
s1aoie, saCioh without any further action by Con
sress, especially those postrast sters ei
ing rural delivery service sN-
suppose the cancellations of an office
HSaouiu merely increase 30 cents a dav
vi I1e basis of ninety days this increase
"ouId amount TO $40 a uuarter Tba
SUhpehsauoh of postmasters at fourth
CIasS oHlces is based on canrelIattons as
ro,toWs, . I'o per cent of the first $50. 30
per cent OF the next 800; 30 per cent Of
..rheHts s' E-o' ~ per cent of the balance.
therefore, the $40 increase would no
o'oPoSed or In the following manner.
hurai Route.-At Watson Min
t tol the quarter ended September 30 1907
SS posth!5Ster compensation was $50 "A.
~ the addition OF s45 in canceIia+in,S - -
the same period. $2571 would go 10 the
postmaster as an increase In his salary
IoI tn+ thrd quarter OF 1891 This ir
crease IN compensation would come fron,
. siIe handling of two eleven-pound pack
ages day. p''eh
Two Rural Routes.
AT Middleburg Va. for the o,,arta,
ended September 20 1907. the postmaster,s 6
compensation was 500 50. OF the addi,ion
OF $40 In cancellations for the same nariod
fiol" would go to the postmaster as an
OF 1907 " ''i'iu quarter
by largely increasing postal receints
the salaries of postmasters would Increase
su'oniaucaiIy with the parcel post scheme
~ tne same time the country merchant
~ouiu nave an advantage over the depart
meht store. as II would cost the country
merchant but % cents to deliver an eleven
pound package, while the charge To tho
mai order house would be Sl31 fnr
package OF the same weight
Savings Banks.
Now. with regard to postal savings
banks The object in establishing these is
TO encourage THRIFT and economy. There
are many savings banks In the couptrv
but one-third of them are situated in
New England. and they contain one-third
OF the depositors- Immigrants have been
entering this country In vast numbers ,Iur