The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1910-11-25
The Parcels Post.


going about collecting packages for til,
parcels post to that country. TIL,
anomaly consists in the fact that til,
American people are offered by a foreign
power a service which their own govern
ment refuses to perform for them
Thus, a package weighing II poundl
may be sent by this German service fol
l2cents pound, while the United States
would not carry a package o. the same
weight in this country at all, the limi
on mailable matter here being foul
pounds and the postage g cents pound
The result Of this is that package may
be sent from San Francisco to Persia
China or Berlin which would not be per.
mitted in the mails going from New
Orleans to Atlanta. To make the illus
tration still more striking: A package
that Uncle Sam would not, for any con-
sideration, transport from New York
across the bridge to Brooklyn can be
brought by parcels post from Berlin to
Brooklynl The remedy for this absurd
condition lies with the people themselves
through their Congressman, but there
are some mighty interests" to subdue
before any relief can be secured. The
Nashville Tennessean.
They handle it with care, but occa-
sionally one of these articles finds its
way into the big dailies Whether actu-
ated from matter Of principle or from
a selfish standpoint we are not prepared
to Judge. The liberal construction would
be matter of principle.
In the first place this is not an en-
pire. The parcels post advocates always
forget this to start with. The operation
OF the parcels post in this country would
not have tendency to promote the
principles Of government, while it might
be perfectly in line with the machinery
OF an empire.
The truth is that the genuine objec-
tive features Of a parcels post system
are not to be undervalued, but what of
the results of the operation of such sys-
tenn in this country. In the first place
it would increase government control
and enlarge our bureau system. Every
time the government enlarges its con-
troll Of commerce to that extent indi-
vidualism is destroyed and every time
the national bureaus are increased CEN
,tralization gains d new foothold.
u These are che evil tendencies of the
parcels post as the system relates to the
government
In our commercial system the parcels
post would also have its deleterious
effects The Tennessean says there are
some mighty interests" to subdue in
the way Of the parcels post But, on
the other hand, we are ready to say to
the Tennessean that there are some other
mighty interests" in favor of the par
GELS post; in fact, some mighty inter
ests which are 10 doubt moving heav-
en- and earth to secure the coveted ad-
vantage through Congress- OF these
are the jobbers, the big city retail es-
or the mail-order houses.
also the wholesale houses
which would convert then trade into
The same channel With the parcels
post these concerns would supply the
people all over the country with mer-
at the sacrifice Of the country
merchant. The towns would eventually
lwindle away and become rural com
and the country merchant
would have to seek ether avenues for
a livelihood. The parcels post would ,
tend toward the effacement of
he smaller towns. The country mer-
liant, the farmers ally and friend, would
)e swept out of business-the man who
extends credit to his neighbor farmer
rom year to year, the man who takes
he farmers produce in exchange for ,
FOODS the man who allows his goods /
0 be taken home subject to examina- {
ion and approval, the man who ex- ]
hanges articles of merchandise when /
he customer is not suited or refunds /
he money. {
1t is TO be inferred that the inter S
SITS OF which the Tennessean speaks {
re the express companies, and it is i
roper to say that these companies are /
) some extent exorbitant and exacting q
kept in towns where there are COM d
citing lines. The parcels post means o
he increase Of mail packages from Y
our to eleven pounds That would, Of II
curse, encroaeh very largely upon the
usiness now being done by the express
1t would affect the express c
very materially, OF course I
le express companies could not com a
etc with the government in carrying g
ackages up to eleven pounds, especially c.
hen it is calculated that this service ii