Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1908-11-21
HOME TRADE MENACE
How Parcels Post Would Help
Mail Order Houses.
REASONS FOR OPPOSING IT.
Bio Central Manufactures and Depart
ment Stores Would Be Able to Crush
Out Traders In Towns-How Small
Plants Would Be Doomed.

ment Stores Would Be Able to Crush
Out Traders In Towns-How Small
Plants Would Be Doomed.
The following editorial appeared in
the Minneapolis Commercial Bulletin
recently and sets forth several new
and strong arguments against any leg
islation in favor of parcels post as ad-
vocated by retail mail order houses:
ut is predicted by those who are
well posted that there will be much
more determined and intelligent effort
to secure the enactment of Il parcels
post measure in the next session of
congress than was made in the session
which closed some time ago. In pre-
pairing to combat this effort those who
believe that the extension of the par
cells post service would be detrimental
not only to their own business, but to
the country as a wholc-tO the great
body of the American people-must
bring forward those arguments which
are most likely to appeal to the great
masses of the people and must to
large extent get away from those ar
gumentS which relate specifically TO
their own interests.
The change or disruption of cStab-
lished methods and channels of dis
tributon is not likely to appear to
the ordinary mind as sufficient ground
for opposing plan that is loudly adj
vocated as means of progress and
improvements and it may not seem
clear to the general public in what
way this plan menaceS the existence of
retail merchants or why they should
be guarded against a means of dis
tribution which is claimed to be in
the interest of both the producers and
the consumers of the articles thus
cheaply and conveniently distributed.
But there are more valid reasons
for Directing to the parcels post than
appear on the face of the matter at a
casual glance. This is not mere
question of maintaining the relations
Of manufacturers, joDbers or whole
salers and retail dealers and giving to
each class a fair share in the profits
of production and Of distribution to
consumers. Disrupting this system
would be of small account If the re-
suit was to be an economic and so
cial Improvement or even If it was to
cause no injury to the community.
But while the government is con-
tending against the control of indus
try and trade by great combinations
that tend to monopoly and the cX-
tinction of competitive effort and
while there is a general depreciation
of the tendency to draw population
from rural and village life and mass
it in cOngested centers, it seems like q
poor policy to lend the service of the
government to both these tendencies,
as the parcels post would certainly do.
The transportation afforded might not
be especially cheap In aggregate cost,
but by means of the uniform charge it
would be made cheap for long dis
tanccs and give Il tremendous advan-
tage to the great manufacturing and
trading concerns at central points. 1t
would cause the small manufacturing
places, scattered over wide areas and
affording employment and cOmforta-
bic subsistence to small communities
to anguish and die out. 1t would en-
able the big central manufactures,
department stores and mail order
houses to reach out to small towns
and villages and eXtinguish the local
traders and storekeepers or reduce
them to struggling and prccariOus
existence. The various tendencies
which it would accelerate are those
most desirable TO counterfeit.
THE purpose of the government
postal service Is to facilitate commu-
nication among the people in their so
cial, business and political relations
and not to transport commodities at
the public expense. The purpose of
the merchandise rate for small pack
ages is to enable the people to send
these to each other readily and cheap
ly and not to afford to manufacturers
and traders a cheap method of dis
tributng their goods to customers. In
this latter business the uniform rate
would not work equtably. 1t would
enable Il big manufacturing concern
in one part of the country to swamp
or crush out local competitors all over
the country by having the government,
which means the people of all locall-
ties, pay the difference between the
cost of transportation over the long
distance and that of local distribution.
1t would therefore help the tendency
to concentrate industries which pro
duce goods to be sent out in moderate
packages in cOngested centers of pop
ulation and employment and to dry up
these industries in the small commu-
mites where they give work to Il thirty
ing and not overcrowded people
I'm like manner it would help build
up the great retail mail order houses.
1T would enable them to reach all
parts of the country and undersell the
local merchants, because 1t would cost
them no more to deliver their goods a
thousand miles away than it cost the
local trader within his own village.
With free delivery it might cost less,
not because the actual cost was not
eminent was made a partner in the
business and did the transporting.
Facilities for mail communication
among the people can be greatly i'm
proved In promptness and regularity
of dispatch and delivery, and atten-
ton had much better be given to that
than to making the government an ac-
tive partner in trade and transporta-
zion to the advantage Of large COM