New-York tribune., 1908-08-17
THE PARCELS POST.
Opponents Sad to Use Retail Mer-
chants as Cats -PaWs

To the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: This is the for Uncle's Sans quad
rennial stocktaking. The national business Of the
last four years is being reviewed, the balance
struck and plans laid for future betterments.
Among these betterments some political parties have
included postoffice savings banks. but. far as
have seen no party has demanded an up-to-date
parcels post Certainly parcels post in any ade-
quate sense, is tabooed by both Republicans and
Democrats in their national platforms
Why is this thus?
The present situation is too utterly ridiculous,
Living here in the extreme West just far as
the Star Of Empire permits, 1 can send by mail
eleven pounds in single package to London. Eng
land for 81 30. But If to mail eleven pounds
to the nearest town. Monterey. two miles distant.
1 must divide it into three parcels. because not
more than four pounds is permitted In package.
at domestic merchandise rates, and then pay 81 Is
postage. That is our postoff1ce charges A
cents more to send eleven pounds for two miles
than it charges for sending the same weight six
thousand miles!
Whose fault is this?
Is it the negligence of the Postmaster General?
Certainly the blame does rest with this official.
nor with President Roosevelt These gentlemen
have 1t in their power to conclude conventions
with foreign countries TO postal affairs. Hence
the 50 rate for eleven-pound packages TO distant
lands But they cannot touch domestic rates.
These regulated by Congress.
Who regulates Congress?
Popular fiction ascribes this function TO 'the peo-
pie But. as Lowell found fifty years ago, mys-
terious agency in the background is apt to arrange
for the people their wants and desires
This agency has sown broadcast frequent state
ments that cheap parcels post would ruin the retail
merchants wherever found has sedulousy ad-
vertsed the mail order houses by publishing in the
rural press statements that these houses sell
cheaper than local merchants. and that. were
postage rates made reasonable. local merchants
would all go broke. Put badly, cheaper trans
portaton would kill local trade This, of course,
puts 70 derision the whole worlds experience.
Moreover in this special particular the worlds ex-
perience is quite definite Parcels post has been
In actual operation n Europe and India for more
than quarter century. 1t has proved so great a
boon TO the European retailer that he would be
the first to object to curtailDlent abolition 1t
provides rapid transportation at rates absolutely
equal to all; determinations; no rebates
Already in this country many mail order houses
by means of special rates deliver bargain counter
goods to purchasers free of all charge for trans
portaton. In spite OF this there has never been
a decade when our country stores were better
stocked with goods transacted more business
than since 1895 Obviously then, in obstructing
parcels post the retail merchant has been used as a
cat's-paw for the mysterious agency aforesaid
The monkey in the case is branded Express.
The chestnuts such airy triGes as s3O,G9OeO sur
pluses
The Postmaster General and the people want an
up-to-date parcels post. This has been omitted
from the national platforms Let it be adopted og
all county and state platforms!
The nation owes this reform to the man who
wrestes with Nature in the backwoods Tor the
bread of life which constitutes its wealth, and on
which depends its very existence. His name Is
legion. and he wants it badly, and he wants 1t now
EDWARD BERWICK,
President Posta- Progress League OF Sahfornla.
Pacific Grove, Cal, August ). l3OS