The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-11-01

TO the Officers and Members Of the
Farmers Union:
National in it's scope, and including
every shade Of political belief in Amer
yea. it is essential that the Farmers
Union get together in a non-part:san
program for reforms in which they
are mutually interested, regardless Of
political divisions or alignment.
One of these reforms--or rather ad-
vancenlents-I believe it is our special
duty to push at the forthcoming SEES
son OF Congress is the eSta
Of a parcels post.
Last session, / too a census Of
Congress, and found that enough rep
reSentativeS and Senators were in ia
vor-or at least said they weer in IA
yor-of this featupre to secure its en-
actnent in some form.
1t is now incumbent upon us to
get in behind all congressman alike
and make them redeem his promise.
There is just one obstacle in the
way. That is the aVarice of the eX-
press companies, and of a few small
merchants who affect to believe their
will be depleted by a par
GELS post.
1t IS time the express companies
stopped cutting melons at the public
expense, and it is time hey stopped
ha1ting rural development in this
country because of their lust for diyi-
dends.
congressman all look alike to US.
Insurgents or Regulars, Democrats
or Republicans, Populist of Socialist
it is up to them to come across and
give us something the entire country
wants and that no mar can logically
or honestly oppose.
We have international parcels post
agreement with forty-eight nations,
with a maximum weight Of eleven
pounds, with the postage Il cents per
pound. The maximum weight inside
this sale is four pounds. The rate is
sixteen cents a pound. If you want
to sen a four pound package even
ten miles, it viii cost you sixty-four
cents. You could send it to Naples
or Ondon for forty-eight cents.
If a parcels post is right. profitable
and feasible from an international
standpo ut. it is right, logical and
profitable from a national standpoint.
The American farmer has an es-
pecial interest in an American parcels
post.
In England, where the maximum is
II pounds and the rate reasonable the
farmers are shipping eggs and other
truck products by post at such rates
as make it profitable to raise these
products.
Consider what the American express
companies charge you for eleven
pounds Of your farm products, either
for fifty or 500 miles, and you see
where YOU are being bled.
Consider what it would mean If you
had the advantage of the British peas
ant. 1t would increase the value of
thousands of farms by a large figure.
That is just one of the farmers
counts.
You are paying needless ribute on
every ounce of supplies you receive,
in the express classification, to the
express companies The aggregate
totals q tax Of millions upon American
each year. There is no JUS
tice, no sense in this practice.
There is another side to it. Often
you are compelled to lose time and
spend money, sending into your county
site for tools, food. clothing or other
supplies. A parcels post, working in
connection with the rural phone or
the mail itself. would reduce that ex-
pense by a great big fraction.
It is this same rural parcels post
that does away with the argument of
the small merchant agins the pro-
posed innovation III. His trade would
immensely profit by it. And, at any
rate, he cannot hope much longer to
defect every item of farm trade from
the manufacturing centers, where
prices must be cheaper, to himself.
These are some of the leading rea-
sons why the farmer, why every
American citizen, should be in favor
of q parcels post. Proper pressure this
season by letter and conversation upon
congressman of every party will get
results before the end of next sum-
mer.
CHARLES S. BARRETT.
Union City. Ga. Oct. 81, 1910.