West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1908-05-07
PARCELS POST PLAN
Will 1t Protect Local Trade on
Rural Mail Routes?
Mr.. MEYER ON THIS POINT.

Postmaster General Proposes TO Carry
Home Town Packages at Rate With
Which Outside Concerns Cannot
Compete on the Rural Routes.
That there are two sides to every
question Is generally conceded. While
I'm many communities there Is great OPP
position TO the extension OF the parcels
post as recommended hy Postmaster
General Meyer, the postmaster general
himself takes occasion to present "ths
other side" In this statement;
ut does not seem TO he understood
by many of our people that we have
n parcels post at present The rate Ia
10 cents n pound and the limit OF
weight four pounds. TO illustrate tho
incongruitlcs that exist. any indl-
viduol entering the postoGlcc I'm Bos-
ton or In any other city or town In
the country with two parcels. each
weighing four pounds. can send ono
parcel 10 New York for ca cents, whilo
for the other parcel. which Is addressed
TO some one IN u foreign land and goes
via New York. he will have Co pay aS
cents, for the reason that the rate TO
foreign countries IL IL cents pound,
while the ratio to our own people
Ia 10 cents pound. Should tho pack
ages weigh four and quarter pounds
each the one addressed 20 the friend I'm
New York would have To bc refused 10y
the postmaster. while the one addressed
10 the person In the foreign land would
be accepted and would bc forwarded
10 New York and then sent on TO It's
destination. The parcel for tho for
elgn country would bc received I'm
most instances even If Il weighed az
much as eleven pounds and was sent
TO any one of twenty-five countries.
Therefore I assume that our represent
atlves In congress Will realize that they
cannot afford 10 stand for q policy that
compels our own people TO pay
cents more on packages 60 people lly-
Ing In the United States (and even
then permits them to send only four
pounds) than ON packages TO residents
OF twenty-five foreign lands for which
they need pay only IL cents pound
and which weigh up to eleven pounds.
1.-Two interests are opposing the ex-
tension Of parcels post I'm this country
the express companies nnd tho coun-
try retail merchants. The latter fear that
the mall order house will derive n bene-
fit 20 their own disadvantage. IL is I'm
connection with the country retail mer-
chant that desire to speak especially.
81 recommend the establishment OF
parcels post on rural routes which
will meet the objections of the small
storekeepcrs and retailers. This Will
bo boon TO our rural population ana
TO the storckeeper, MS the latter can
receive his orders by mail or telephone
and dispatch the desired merchandise
by the rural carrier. The farmer Will
be saved from hitchlng up his horse
and losing the time he needs for plant
Ing or harvesting his crops, ana It Will
enable the storckecper 10 Increase his
sales and meet the requirements OF
modern trade. If my recommendations
are adopted IL will cost 10 cents a pound
for the mail order house TO send par
cells to the rural delivery patron from
any city postollicc, while for delivery
from the distributing Office OF the ru-
raj route or IL mailed by a patron OF
any rural route for delivery to pa
trlbuting postonlcc of said route tho
charge Will be but cents FOR the first
pound and cents for each additional
pound up TO eleven pounds or 25 cents
for package weighing eleven pounds.
In Germany the small storckeeper has
not this advantage I'm competing with
mall order houses, but he has adapted
himself TO the situation and I'm many
instances has become the agent In his
town, thus supplying the people with
goods which he could not keep I'm stock
without a great outlay OF money"
A bin cmbodying the suggestions
made by Postmaster General Meyer
has been introduced by Senator Burn
ham Of New Hampshire. II Is under
stood that this measure also has the
Endorsement OF President Roosevelt.
The bill provides for the establishment
OF domestic rural parcels post at
special rates OF postage for the deliv-
cry OF foodstuffs, dry goods, drugs,
books and other merchandise The ratio
Of postage IS TO be 3 cents for the first
| pound ana cents FOR each additional
| pound or fraction thereof and on par.
cells Weighing less than one pound as
| follows:
Two ounces or less. 1 cent, over two
and under four ounces, 2 cents; over
four and not exceeding eight ounces, 3
cents; over eight and not exceeding
twelve ounces. cents: over twelve
ounces and under one pound, $ cents.
There are more than $4,000 free rural
delivery routes. giving a daily postal
service to over 100000 country people.