Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1909-04-03
HOME TRADE KNOCKE:R
Argument Against Adoption OF a
Parcels Post System.
DEATHBLOW TO SMALL TOWN
Would Practically Wipe Out Jobbing
Trade-Vast Amount Of Business
Now Done In Country Districts
Would Be Transferred to Cities.

Now Done In Country Districts
Would Be Transferred to Cities.
We live In an era of progress. We
are moving forward so rapidly that
there IS danger that some proposed so
called modern improvements may be
accepted as beneficial which in their
Rctual working out when practically
tried would prove to be evils in the
guise of benefits. An Illustration OF
this is the proposition to turn the post
Office department into Il carrier of all
kinds of miscellaneous merchandise by
the adoption of parcels post system.
From a national point of view one Of
the most serious dangers from this
system is the inevitable effect that 1t
would have to throw into mail order
channels and transfer to the great
cities of the country. says MaXwelrs
Talisman, a vast volume of trade now
done In the small cities, country towns
and villages.
That this would be an evil no one
with a mind capable of thought can
deny Stupendous changes In the meth
cd of transacting the business of dis
tributinc merchandise to the consum-
ers would result, and the result of
every change would be to transfer
trade and population to the great cit
les If would practically wine out the
iobbinp trade and the country mcr-
chant would inevitably become, rs the
postmaster general says In effect he
has become in Germany. a sales agent
without any stock I'm trade. Offering
specitic goods as they are sold, lust as
n manufacturers agent does In this
country, recurring no more of the ma
chinerv of trade than is necessary to
transmit his orders to the central fac
tory or Warehouse Retail merchants
now engaged In trade in thousands Of
the smaller trade centcrs I'm all parts
of the country would be forced out Of
business. their stores would be closed,
and some great mail order concern in
a big city would do the business. The
people employcd to transact it would
necessarily live In the cities where the
trade was done In every European
country where the parcels post system
EXISTS If has had this effect. The cities
of those countries In Europe have
grown in Dopulation and trade with
stuDcndous strides at the expense Of
the country since the parcels post sys-
tenn has been In yocue, That system
has undoubtedly been one of the great
promoting Influences toward this CEN
realization of trade and population In
the cities
To break the effect of this funda-
mental objection to the parcels post
the proponents of that scheme urge
that If will stimulate the settlement
of the ruraI REGIONS because it will
increase the convcnicnces of rural life.
So IT would stimulate rural settlement
IF tha government Ivould furnish every
ono who would move into the country
with q donation of money and n free
sunply of garden fools. If the huge
treasury deficit which would be caus-
ed by the narccls most system If inau-
pnratcd wcrc aDplied directly to such
donations and Gifts from the govern
mont II wouId undoubtedly result In
creotino many now country homes Int
the reaction from such q scheme
vOuld far overbalance the benefits
from II
The fact Is incontroyertible that the
goods wares and merchandise. house
hold goods carbon fools dry goods
and clothing groceries and all food
nroducts NOT nroduccd on the farm
nust he purchased from some source
nv the dwelIers in the country Where
arc these goods to come from and
whore orn tbo noonIe who conduct the
trade Of sunnlvina thnm TO live? If
tba countless millions Of dollars OK
nended nv the dwelIers IN the country
for snch THINGS in the course Of n ycor
ore sent to the great cities and the
goods ordnrnd tbore from hupe mail
order CONFORMS to be delivered Inv mar
cells most then the fact cannot be gain
said that the ncon,e who transact that
immonsn rolnmn of animal business
win ba concentrated in thc cities The
LARGO nonnl,tion NOW tronsacting the
business in fine small cities fine conn
trv towns and tho countrv VILLAGES will
he transferred to fine cities The oven.
tuol WORKING out Of sucb n svstem