The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-12-22
Editor Richmond Palladium, Rich

Editor Richmond Palladium, Rich.
mond, Ind.
Dear Sir: The article on Parcels
! Post in recent number of your paper,
contains some noticeably untenable
arguments. For instance the rural
post as recommended by President
Taft; it is urged by parcels post advo-
Gates that this would have the effect
| of curbing the exactions of express
companies; as a matter of fact the ex.
| press companies have every reason
| for favoring a rural parcels post be-
cause it not only would not compete
with them but would enable them 10
deliver packages direct to farmers
along rural routes by simply mailing
out the packages received at the eX-
press Offices through the local post of
! Aces. Not only that but a rural par.
cells post is unnecessary because rural
carriers can carry parcels of any size
the choose for farmers or merchants
now and this service has hardly been
used at all.
| 1t is claimed that rural parcels
post would yield an enormous reve,
nue.. Now the annual deficit of the
British postal department has reach,
ed such enormous proportions that
the government no longer dare pub
| lish the figures. Germany, Australia
and New Zealand own or control their
railroads and mail is largely carried
| there without cost to the govern
ments, an enormous item of expense
is saved in this way which the United
States has to pay. None of these
countries have a rural free delivery
and the consequent expense which
| costs the United Statets millions ev.
cry year and postal employees in
these countries work for much lower
wages than our do, not only this but
| none of them has any such expense in
mail car rentals as we do.
AS to the so-called benefit parcels
post of any kind would be to the farm.
er the conditions in foreign countries
do not substantiate such a claim. The
| writer has first hand informal ton from
relatives in England and Scotland and
learns that SO far from helping the
| farmers there it has made their condi
| ton worse by the vast injury it has
worked to the towns below the city
| class; this has deprived the former OF
good local markets for his products
| lowered the grade of the urban ad
vantages he once enjoyed and the de
probation of town property has put an
extra burden of taxation on the farm
er. 1t is much the same in Germany
Poverty is on the increase in these
countries and drift of the rural popu
lation cityward there is a far more
serious problem than it is in the I'm
itetd States.
There is not a retail merchant in
the country who does not believe with
reason that parcels post is equivalent
to a government subsidy of the mai
order trade. Why should the mail or
der house be given an advantage over
the retailer? In all reason the retailer
is entitled to fair show. The enact
ment OF parcels post of the character
that is aimed at by it's promoters
would do more towards stopping the
industrial growth of this country thar
any other thing that could be done
The fact that parcels post has MOI
contributed to the uplift and better
ment of rural communities in the
countries where it exists is very goot
evidence that it would not benefit
them here either. Very truly yours.
Arthur E. Towne.
| Argos, Ind.