Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1908-03-12
PARCELS POST PLAN hAnk[T QUOTATIONS.
Will 1t Protect Local Trade on
Rural Mail Routes?
Mr.. MEYER ON THIS POINT,

Postmaster General Proposes to Garry
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
in many communities there is great op-
position to the extension of the parcels
post as recommended by Postmaster
General Meyer, the postmaster general
himself takes occasion to present 1.-THE
other side" in this statement:
ut does not seem to be understood
by many of our people that we have
a parcels post at present. The rate Is
1G cents pound and the limit of
weight four pounds. To illustrate the
incongruities that exist. any indi
vdual entering the postofiice in Bos
ton or in any other city or town in
the country with two parcels. each
weighing four pounds. can send one
parcel to New York for ca cents. while
for the other parcel. which is addressel
to some one in a foreign land and goes
via New York. he will have to pay As
cents. for the reason that the rate tC
foreign countries Is ~ cents pound
while the ratio to our own people
Is 1G cents a pound. Should the pack
ages weigh four and quarter pounds
each the one addressed to the friend ii
New York would have to be refused by
the postmaster. while the one ADDRESSED
to the person in the foreign land would
be accepted and would be forwarded
to New York and then sent on to it:
destination. The parcel for the for
eign country would be received II
most instances even if it weighed n.
much as eleven pounds and was sen
to any one Of twenty-five countries
Therefore l assume that our represent
atives in congress will realize that the,
cannot afford to stand for policy tina
compels our own people to pay :
cents more on packages to people liv
ing In the United States (and ever
then permits them to send only fou
pounds) than on packages to residents
Of twenty-five foreign lands. for whicl
they need pay only II cents a poun(
and which weigh up to eleven pounds.
1.-TWO interests are opposing the ex
tension of parcels post in this countr.
the express companies and the coun
try retail merchants The latter fear tina
the mail order house will derive bene
fit to their own disadvantage. 1t is II
connection with the country retail mer
chant that l desire to speak especially
II recommend the establishment Of
will meet the objections of the small
stOrekeepers and retailers. This vii
be boon to our rural population anC
to the storelecper, as the latter car
receive his orders by mail or telephone
and dispatch the desired merchandis,
by the rural carrier. The farmer will
be saved from hitching up his hors
and losing the time he needs for plant
ing or harvesting his crops. and it will
enable the stOrekeeper to increase hi
sales and meet the requirements o
modern trade If my recommendation
are adopted it will cost II cents poun,
for the mail order house to send par
GELS to the rural delivery patron from
any city postoilice while for deliver.
from the distributing office of the III
raj route or if mailed by patron o
any rural route for delivery to pa
tron on the same route or at the dis
tributing postotiice of said route til
charge will be but 5 cents for the frs
pound and cents for each additional
pound up to eleven pounds or - cent
for package weighing eleven pounds
In Germany the small storckccpcr Ia
not this advantages in competing wit
mail order houses. but he has adaptc
himself to the situation and in man.
Instances has become the agent in hi
town, thus supplyin" the people VIII
goods which he could not keep in Stocl
without Il great outlay of money"
A bill embodying the suggestion
made by Postmaster General Meyc
has been introduced by Senator Burn
ham of New Hampshire. 1t is under
stood that this measure also has tn
Endorsement of President Roosevelt
The bill provides for the establishment
of domestic rural parcels post Il
special rates of postage for the dellv
cry of foodstuffs, dry goods drugs
books and other merchandise. The rat
of postage is to be 5 cents for the frs
pound and cents for each additional
pound or fraction thereof and on par
GELS weighing less than one pound n
follows:
Two ounces or less, l cent; over tw,
ond 1pdar four OuDces cNntS. Owe
four and not exceeding eight ounces.
cents; over eight and not exceedin:
twelve ounces, 1 cents: over lively
ounces and under one pound, 8 cents.
There are more than $4,000 free rura
delivery routes. giving n daily posta
service to over 100000 country people
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