Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-08


pen to have had a similar eX-
perience last year or the year
before-at the discovery that it is cheaper
to mail Christmas present to POM
1000 miles distant than to one only four
miles from Washington. For instance.
costs more to send to Alexandria, Va,
than to Alexandria, Egypt. If that veneer
able and historic city has post office.
One woman who had hesitated over the
sending of a childs scrapbook made ur
of the Youngsters favorite comic-sectlon
friends to a little nephew in England
thinking that it would cost more in eX-
nressage than the little book was worth,
was delighted to find that Uncle Sam
would deliver it for less than quarter
and proportionately indignant at having
to pay 80 cents postage on a similar pach-
age addressed to Baltimore.
That is one of the reasons why Post
master General George Won l.. Meyer is
out for new parce-post law. He objects
strongly to the present discrimination
against the American citizen. He is by
no means the first Postmaster General
who has wanted new parcel-post law.
John Wanamaker wanted one fifteen years
ago. He it was who sadly admitted to
mountable obstacles to a really satisfac-
tory parcel post in the United States, said
obstacles being the Adams Express Com
pany. the United States Express Company,
the wells-Fargo Express Company and
the American Express Company.
The chief difference between the others
and George Won L. Meyer is that the 9TH
ers merely wanted an improved parcel
post. while Mr.. Meyer stands very good
chance of getting it. And that Is largely
due to the fact that Mr.. Meyer has taken
to heart the saying that all things come
to him who hustles while he waits. He
has not contented himself with saying
that we ought to have 1.-THE has started
out to get it.
He did not wait until Congress was in
session and then go with his hat in his
hand to say please to them. Like an
old campaigner, he started the machinery
for his pet reform months ago. For
months he has been making speeches
about the parcel post and postal savings
bank. He opened his campaign early In
the fall and carried the war into the en-
emy's country. Long before the congress-
men had left their homes he was putting
the matter squarely before the people,
arousing and educating public sentiment.
He will probably make more speeches
where he feels they will do most good. so
that when. in his annual report to Con-
gress, he asks for certain postal improve
ments he will have the people back Of
him to fight express companies. If need
beat any rate. solid support; active
not passive: demanding, not merely ask
ing.
X
Mr.. Meyer says: ''Of course, we have a
parcel post today-a sort of a one-one
that charges 16 cents pound for the de-
livery Of parcels within the United States
and limits their weight to four pounds,
but undertakes to deliver as much as
eleven pounds to any one of the thirty
foreign countries with which we have post
al conventions. and charges only II cents
pound. In other words. 1t imposes on
the people the injustice of 64-cent charge
on a four-pound package taken, say, from
San Francisco to Oakland-a few miles
away-not to mention an equal charge
from one part Of the city to another. and
will carry the same parcel from San Fran
cisco to London-all the way across the
continent to New York and then by
steamer across 5000 miles of ocean-for
only A cents.
Then. again, should the parcel weigh
four and one-half pounds, the postmaster
would have to refuse to deliver it If ad-
dressed to Oakland or to another part of
San Francisco, but he could accept 1t If
addressed to London or Berlin. What
am recommending to Congress is de-
crease that will meet the rates charged
for parcels sent by post to other countries
"a reduction of cents a pound and an
increase in weight which will compare in
some measure with that which has been
adopted by other highly civilized nations.
An eleven-pound limit will be far from the
maximum, for France allows % pounds,
Germany ITO and Belgium as much as
132. 1t seems to me that Congress will
realize that it cannot afford to stand for
WORKOUT policy-the present parcel-post
law dates back to 1S6S-which SO discrim-
mates against our own people.
Heretofore two interests have opposed
the extension of parcel post in this coun-
try-the express companies and the coun-
try retail merchants. The latter have
feared that the mail-order houses will de-
rive benefit to their own disadvantage.
In my recommendations to Congress l am
meeting this objection by advocating a
special rate for rural routes-a rate which.
/ believe, will prove boon to the rural
population and to the storekeeper, too, as
the latter can receive his orders by mail
or telephone and dispatch the desired mer-
.chandise by rural carrier. The farmer will
be saved from hitching UP his horse and
losing his time when he needs it for har-
.vesting his crops. and the country store
keeper will increase his sales and meet the
requirements of modern trade. because. if
my recommendations are adopted, it will
cost Il cents pound for the mail-order
houses-the bugbear of the country store
keeper-to send parcels to the rural de-
livery patron from any city post office,
while for delivery from the distributing
office Of the rural route, or IL mailed by
patron Of any rural route for delivery
to a patron on the same route, or at the
distributing office of that route. the charge
Will be but cents for the first pound and
cents for each additional pound I'D to
eleven pounds. or % cents for package
weighing eleven pounds, on which the
mail-order house would have to pay $132
in postage.
Naturally the increased cancellation