The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1908-01-17
Farmers Parcels Post.

the following recommendation Tor
Farmers Parcels Post in his annual
report-"I recommend the estab-
lishment of a special parcel post
system on rural delivery routes
for packages originating on a rural
route or at the distributing post
office for delivery by rural carriers
to patrons thereof at a rate Of 5 cents
for the first pound and 2 cents for
each additional pound or fractional
part Of an additional pound up to II
pounds; for 2 ounces and up to 4
ounces, 2 cents; over 4 and up to 8
ounces, 3 cents; over 8 and up to II
ounces, 4 cents; over II ounces and
up to pound, 5 cents.
We think this system of parcels
All that is proposed, is to arrange
for carrying parcels between points
on rural routes for the accommoda-
ton of the people thereon at a mode
rate charge that will pay the Govern
ment and bring the business. When
the rural routes were first establish
ed the pay to carriers was placed at
low figure with the idea and per-
mission to carriers to do a parcels
carrying business on their own ac-
count in order to secure proper COM
pensation for their work. This was
not satisfactory. 1t meant that the
carriers must work up a business for
themselves to the neglect of the mail
carrying business by running around
to solicit and to get parcels. Some
were willing to pay the carriers fol
this extra work but others thought
! the carriers, as long as they were
making the trips, might do the work
as an accommodation. Then carri-
ers asked that this business be taken
away and that their salaries be
raised to a paying basis. This was
done. Yet it is recognised fact
that there is parcels business along
these routes, that can be attended
to, if packages are stamped and de-
livered to the carrier at the post
offices or at points designated with.
out delaying or interfering with
their carrying of the mails and yet
increase the revenues of the Govern.
ment and make the rural routes
self supporting. There is no special
privilege in this. There is nothing
that works wrong or hardship tc
any one. There is nothing in the
plan that tends to the centrali.
zation of business. Those living of
any particular route, where parties
live whom they wish to reach
would have to pay express to some
point on the route and have some
one there to put the parcel or parcels
into the mail, properly stamped.
We certainly would not desire tc
sec the business of local merchants
injured. We believe that they can
serve their local customers more
cheaply, more promptly and more
efficiently than can mail order hous.
es or department stores and we be.
lieve that in this time of the general
use of the telephone, that they
would find an increase of business
and great convenience in beina
able to send packages to their Gus.
| COUlcrS dC lON ldCCS UuG SUCH as
would be profitable to the Govern.
ment. There can be no reason to
imagine that this plan would have
any tendency toward the establish
ing of a general parcels post, at
rates lower, or for parcels larger
than provided under the existing
law. Everyone knows that parcels
can now be sent up to weight OF
four pounds at the rate of sixteen
cents pound and all that would be
necessary to introduce the much
feared parcels post would be to ex-
tend the privilege as to the number
of pounds that could be sent and
lower the rate per pound. This has
not been done in all these wears
though it has been urged over and
over again that the provisions of the
law are in the interests of the great
express companies who have divided
uD the express business IF tho ,o,,,