The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1907-08-30
CITATION OF
PARCELS POST
,,,,.s,;oe Review by Eminent
'"' Authority on the Subject.
GREAT BOON TO PUBLIC
-, Countries tiave Successfully
WV ,,,a,,a,ed the Parcels Post.
Why Not American

II things matcrialiae, as it is said
md hoped they will, the next session
'lCougress will have presented before
"a ;OlOns for strong consideration Il
Parcels Post Bill,
This change has been advocated by
vs,amaker, Villas, Bissell and other
p.,mas,ers General, and at the next
c,,srass will have the hearty support
4 postmaster General Meyer. backed
!, tho administration Of which he is
ash shining light
hiring the last decade on So. Amer
b, has generally lead the nations OF
mo world in useful and progressive
soDomics, but there are two things IN
,hrh she is woefully behind her tele-
rsDhic and parcels post facilities
france, Switzerland, AuStro- Hungary
n] Great Britain can give her cards
nj spades and WIN out on those Two
PROPOSITIONS.
We have a domestic parcels post, it
true, but its cost to the community Is
M thOusand per cent. more than That
II Germany is to her people. TO a
little less degree, it is the same in the
other countries mentioned, and in each
pn,y named, the parcels post is Il
xIf.sustaining and very profitable en-
sprise, as well as being a great gain
| 10 the people and Il most convenient
adjunct to the comforts of home life.
/ will, in a measure, do away with
the eytOrtionate express companies.
charges and bring their parcels to their
DOORS by the free delivery route in
nal districts.
Ina very able editorial on this sub
Iet in the Cleveland Press, Of a re-
cent date, we are told, "An express
package, Weighing three pounds was
vent from an American city to IA city
the Argentine Republic. The
charges We're $500. Under the present
English parcels post rates, the carry
ing charge would have been 81 cents.
Who gets this business, England or
'M United States? a European mer-
ehant ordered goods from Minneapolis.
Inc goods cost $3.50. The carrying
eharge was $l4.35. How can Europe
sHon to buy goods in America? That
Is foreign business you say. Then
'@e domestic comparisons. Our pre-
'shlrates for domestic postal parcels
@ SWO per cent more than Germany's
,'e under her parcels post. Why? A
O0mestlc parcels post would save the
~. .aal consumer the people about
sooOO'OOO every year. Who gets
Wis $4,000, 600 now?
The four big express companies get
a0'of it. That's the reason they
nave fought the idea of a parcel post
"01'erly, Then the government gets
"'"e More opposition comes from
"a"y small retailers and from country
.''e'Aeepers. They saw that a parcels
fs' would rob them of their business
' give 1t all to the big mail order
.'s'eS Doubtless there is some truth
Ss contention, but the small dealer
%'se's that under Il parcels post sys-
WI, ne, knowing the wants of his
"'pe' could order small lots of goods
~ .',, very little shipping expense; he
~su anticipate the demands of his
:, "'ue and satisfy it almost as cheaply
NJ n VIC :. mail order house; he could build
t ,a.', financial risk a very profitable
s,u '''ss'on business. He would lose
M;,S '"e consumer would gain every
No" s' Millions of people are not served
m,. W the express companies. A
l,ss e ~, post would make every rural
vo1,S Se'Very route self-supporting, and
INV 'a result in thousands of additional
bin. ' "" Think of your express
,on..' snd then consider what foreign
,s,Ss 'ss nave done. Austria Hungary
,eD,. :! pound parcels 10 miles for 6
C,ss, further distance for IL cents.
,,s,. ' Britain = sends % pounds for %
s,s.,, switzerland sends II pounds
s,.". s Ana as much as "A pounds for
acs'.4 Our express companies charge
Al n," s Tor four pounds. Our postoffice
T'Seht sends 4 pounds for ~ cents.