The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-01-15
THE PARCELS POST


post offices and post roads be request
ed to inquire into its feasibility and
deslrability, and report to the house
within thirty days"
| Representative Fish's resolution
was referred to the committee on
rules, and he has never been able to
get hearing before that committee,
In order to have it acted upon in any
way. In April, 1910, the house COM
mittee on postofices and post roads,
Representative Weeks, Of Massachu-
sets, chairman, of it's own initiative,
or perhaps because of insistent urg-
ing, granted a hearing to those inter
ested in parcel post legislation, and to
those opposed to it, but no action has
| ever been had upon any Of the parcels
post bills before the committee, and
the indications are that none will
be taken.
It is true that there is, under the
present postal system, a parcels post,
but its charge is excessive, and its
| maximum of weight is too low to meet
! the demands and requirements of the
public. The chief purpose which it
| serves, Is to add to the profits of the
express companies and the railroads.
Under the contracts, which the ex-
| press companies have with the rail-
roads for transportation, from As per
cent to SIS per cent, or about AIT per
cent Of the cost to the shippers of
| the country goes to the railroads, and
| the remainder about 52.3 per cent
goes to the express companies, which
| practically perform only the terminal
service.
| The distance from Washington to
Baltimore is forty miles, and the ex-
press rate is fifty cents for 100
pounds of merchandise. Approximate
ly 25 cents Of this goes to the railorad
+! for transportation charges and 26
cents to the express company for
handling at both ends of the line.
The distance from Washington to
| Philadelphia is 1875 miles, and the ex-
| press rate is S1.00 per 100 pounds of
merchandise; the distance from Wash
ington to New York is 225 miles, and
the express rate is $1.25 per 100
pounds; the distance from Washing
| ton to Chicago is 800 miles, and the
| express rate is S2.25 per 100 pounds;
| and the distance from Washington to
| the Pacific Coast IS 200 miles and
| the express rate is $3.50 per 100
pounds. Allowing the railroads ar-
proximately one-half of the express
charge in each case for Transports
ton, the express companies get the
remaining half of the charge chiefly
for the handling at both ends, or
twenty-five cents for handling 100
pounds at Washington and Baltimore.
and SITS for handling at Washington
and San Francisco, 100 pounds also.
On parcels weighing eleven pounds,
which is the general international par
GELS post limit, the express rate is cor
respondingly much larger in each in
stance. Thus, If the express compa-
MES make enormous profits by allow
ing the railroad companies one-half
of their charges for transportation,
the question naturally arises why the
government could not maintain a par
GELS post system with limit of eleven
pounds, at a much less rate, and
without mourning deficit by SO do
ing, since the government would be
subjected to no greater expense in
handling, at either end Of the ship
ment, than are the express companies.
The United States has postal CON
ventions with Twenty-Five foreign