The Detroit times., 1908-08-07
WILL ASK DUR. To
INSTALL PARCEL
EXPRESS SYSTEM
HUGH MeMINN, ADVERTISING Elk.
PERT, BACK FROM EDINBURGH,
MUCH IMPRESSED WITH PLAN
IN VOGUE THERE.

The system OF parcel express oper.
ated by the street railways OF Edin.
burgh, Scotland. so pleased Hugh Nc.
MINI. advertising manager OF the
Newcomb-Endicott company, who has
Just returned from q visit TO that city,
that he has determined TO take 1t up
with his firm TO see If some similar
arrangement cannot be entered into
with the Detroit United Railway OF
Detroit.
Mr.. McMinn was born in Scotland.
and he. with his wife. spent three
weeks visiting Edinburgh and other
places or interest In the land OF the
thistle. He went on the Ionia from
Montreal and landed In Glasgow. this
making his thirty.third ocean voyage,
but 1t was the FIRST visit to Scotland In
20 years.
"Ediburgh. to my mind, has devel'
oped as much as any OF our American
cities in the 20 years have been away
from there" said Mr.. McMinn. in
speaking OF that city. There has
been a general progressiveness In pub
lie utilities, In business and In the
buildings: In fact. everything. with.
perhaps, the exception Of the street
car system. They use the cable sys-
tenn there, the cars being tw0story ar.
fairs where you can ride on top. The
reason the people give for using the
cable system Is that the council Will
not permit any poles to be erected
for electric wiring.
Parcel Delivery Service.
"One Of the things, however, that
impressed itself very favorably on mo
was the street car parcel delivery
service. A parcel with a stamp from
the street car company can be hand
ed to the conductor on any street car
and will be delivered TO any part OF
the city. The price of the stamp Is
fixed by the size of the parcel and the
distance which ii is to be carried. The
average charge is about five cents but,
OF course, that varies, according to
the size and distance. The cars stop
for these parcels the same as they do
for passengers.
receipt, bearing a number. the receipt
being little larger than the regula-
ton street car ticket"
The receipt that Mr.. McMinn has
read as follows:
Edinburgh Il District Tram Com.
pany, Ltd. Parcel express. Conduct.
ors receipt to sender of parcel. This
receipt is issued subject to the COM
pany's parcel regulation BA, 1880
After the conductor receives the
parcel, he deposits it In a receptacle
for that purpose on all cars. and either
takes or sends 1t to the central sta
ton, where 1t is sent out to its des
tination,' continued Mr.. McMinn
"Buiness houses use this extensive
ly, and as far a l could determine. 1t
gives excellent satisfaction. The BUSH
ness houses have delivery wagons the
same as we do, but the parcel express
Is to expedite delivery. Many OF the
large houses send these small parcels
In sort Of mail sach to the central
distributing point and from there the
various packages are sent to their des-
tinations. Some OF the bakers use
this for delivering the famous Scotch
shoftbread.
THE street car service all over the
city Is splendid, and they have very
good transfer system. You pay &C
eording to the distance you ride, and
| believe that in no place In the city
will they charge you more than three
pence, or about six cents our money.
while often you may ride for two pence
or ha' penny The street railway is
owned by a private corporation.
streets are Clean.
THE streets of Edinburgh are ex.
tremely clean After shower the
streets dry quickly as the city is built
on hills and everything In the shape
of dirt Is carried away and the water
dries up Immediately. In Edinburgh
you are either climbing hill or going
down one. but IL Is a beautiful city.
historic and filed with romance. /
believe that Princess-st. in that city
Is the finest and most beautiful thor
oughfare in the world. The business
houses are built along one side of Il,
with artistlcally arranged gardens on
the other. One gets a magnificent
view OF the street from Edinburgh
Castle
I'VE also visited Glasgow and a mum.
Der of places on the Clyde. There are
some 10000 people in Glasgow d.
rectly interested In the shlp-building
works. The financial strngency in
America has greatly affected this great
industry. SO much so that thousands
of the people skilled in this branch OF
labor are working only part OF the
time.
I'VE visited the Island OF Arran, q
most beautiful spot. from which you
can see Iseland. Glasgow. Ben Lomond
and other places of interest. We also
saw the maneuvers between the two
great English fleets in sham battles
on the Firth Of Forth There were
some 90 or 60 big men ofwar engaged
I'm mimic warfare. trying to get pos
session of the coast, while the oppos-
ing fleet defended its position. IL was
very interesting. insofar as II demon.
strated the strength OF Great Britain
on the sea.
For business purposes. though,
tho parcel express Interested me TO
such an extent that ! Intend to take
the matter up with the firm and II
they think favorsbly OF It. we will
then see II the u. ~ r. will not in
vestigate the proposition. II seems
TO me that II might be carried out
successfully In Detroit
-
Brings Suit Against Son.