The Penn's Grove record., 1911-10-06
Parcels Post. ssas-.-,. gss
+. w. Bourne, Jr., of Oregon, in the
30 1o11 =nFr0d,,

]. W. Bourne, Jr., Of Oregon, in the
q. S. Senate. June %, 1911, introduced
the following bill and asked that it be
! read for the information of the Senate.
1t is very brief.
Be it enacted by the Senate and
House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assem-
bled, That from and after the passage
of this act no higher postage rate shall
be charged for the transmission of mail
entirely within the United States OF its
possessions than is charged for trans
mission of mail partly whitman partly
without the United States or its pos
sessions. The Postmaster General is
hereby authorized and required to es-
tablish and enforce rules and regula-
lions which will give the people OF the
United States rights and privileges in
the use Of the United States malls as
liberal as the rights and privileges the
United Sta es accOrds to the people Oh
the most.favored nation.
MI. President, it may seem strange
| TO Members of the Senate that there
should be a possibility of legislation
| giving American citizens privileges in
the United States mails between them
| selves equal with those enjoyed by resi-
dents OF this country in transaction OF
business with residents OF foreign
countries. The facts are these: Within
the United States the a OF postage
on fourth class matter is 16 cents a
pound. with a limit of A pounds. The
United States is party to a treaty under
which residents OF 20 foreign countries
may send fourth class matter through
the United States mails at II cents a
pound. with a limit of IL pounds. In
other words, a man may send an IL
| package from San Francisco TO Rome,
Italy, at IL cents a pound, but II he
| wishes to send the same articles to New
York he must divide them into pack
ages of not to exceed 4pounds each and
pay I6 cents a pound. A Japanese re-
siding in New York a send an IL
| pound package to his friends III Tokyo
| at 70 cents. but an American III New
| York can send only a 4 pound package
from New York to Washington and
must pay 16 cents a pound.
MIR. President, the Committee Oh
| Post Offices and Post Roads OF both
Senate and House have under consider
alton bills for the establishment OF par
GELS post. Lii my opinion, The SPECIFIC
provisions of such a bill should be fixed
| Ouly after the most careful mvestlga-
ton. i believe Congress will establish
a parcels post rate of less than II cents
a pound. and "a rate very much less than
| that for short haujs. But whatever
the ultimate action on the question OF
parcels post, l see no reason for delay
i'm the enactment Of this law, giving
American cillzens as favorable postal
facilities as this Government extends
TO residents Of foreign countries. ES-
pecially is this true when investigation
by the Post Office Department shows
that the cost of transporting fourth
class matter is approximately II cents
a pound. The passage OF this bill Will
i'll no way conflict with any subsequent
Legislation OH the subject OF parcels
post.
One of the reasons why citizens do
not have the benefits ot d parcels ost
is because tile express companies have
had their representatives III Congress 10
prohibit legislation in conflict with
their business. TIE late Thomas q.
Platt, Senator from New York for
many years, was president OF lie US.
Express Company.