The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1908-06-10
Fl. IN CRAM MAKES
STRONG PLEA FOR
PARCELS POST
SAYS ARGUMENT THAT 1T WOULD
BUILD UP CATALOGUE HOUSES
AT EXPENSE OF RETAILERS is
FALLACIOuS.

F. F. ingram delivered an address
on The parcels post" before the
members Of the Wholesalers associa-
tion of Detroit at the weekly luncheon
In the Peno0scot Inn. Wednesday
noon. In which ne spoke of the objec-
lions TO the parcels post raised by its
opponents, ana gave his reasons for
believing IL good thing
Mail order or catalogue houses. IL
Is claimed, would be greatly benefited,
at the expense OF the retail dealers. II
parcels post with rates approx
mately as low as those OF other coun-
tries were established, said Mr. Ing
ram.
The facts are that In no country
having a Parcels post have the Cata-
logue houses assumed such proper
tons as they have in our country. nor
were the catalogue houses known. or
at lea. i.oticeG In our country In tho
70's when the postage on merchan-
disc was only half what II Is now. So
il mus; be conceded. that the ca;a
lCgue houses do no. owe their exist
encc 10 the parcels post. Opponents
OF Tic parcels post concede that the
retail country dealers position rela.
tive 10 direct purchases by their ,us
toners through the mails was incom-
parably better when the postage on
merchandise was only eight cents a
pound than II Is now when the post
age Is twice that amount.
las a matter OF fact, the mail order
houses do not use the mails for deliv-
ering merchandise to any appreciable
extent. That the mails cannot be used
for that purpose Is distinct advan-
tage to the catalogue house. Their
goods go by freight This fact In
duces the farmers and others who pat
ronize them to secure orders also
from their neighbors sufficient to
make 100 pound packages so as 10 Sc
cure the minimum freight rate.
With the parcels post the country
merchant can supply his customers
wants. The difference between the
wholesale price and the price charged
the customer enables the country
merchant TO pay the postage and have
profit. A country buyer II he can
secure goods at the same price, pre-
fers 10 see the goods before he pays
for them. He naturally prefers to
deal with a neighbor and usually de-
be done with the local dealer SO II
seems plain that II he can get cheap
transportation for small parcels. these
goods would go to the consumer
through the local retailer.
Il believe those who oppose the par
cells post are misinformed. The dan
gers they fear are imaginary, and II
they apply to anything II Is to rural
free delivery The parcels post Is not
In the interest OF the catalogue houses
They are not interested in securing a
law, but as a matter OF fact are indif-
ferent~about it and some OF them are
opposed to 1t 1t would interfere with
their business, destroy the monopoly
they now have OF furnishing country
buyers an unlimited assortment OF
goods to select from and would inter
fere with or destroy their present po'
sition as cheaper source OF supply
for buyers In the country than the To-
cal retail store. The parcels post
would make trade freer. Under the
present restricted situation both the
manufacturer and the retail country
dealer suffer The retail dealer Is
robbed Of his opportunities for bust
ness, which In turn reacts on the man
ufacturer who desires to sell TO the
country merchant, but because OF the
latter's reduced purchasing power Of
ten Is forced to sell the goods to the
catalogue house or go out OF business
THE retail country merchant and
the manufacturer and wholesaler In
the city. in my opinion. are making
great mistake when they seek TO
increase their business and Its profits
by increasing the cost Of transporta'
tion between them. or preventing the
reduction of the present extortionate
charges. The freer and cheaper we
can distribute our goods the better II
Is for us and our customers, the retail
merchants"