The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1911-04-28
THE FOREIGN WAY
The Interests of the Public in the
ParCels-Post

The variety Of things handled by the
parcels-post in England is wonderful.
Cheese butter, eggs, fruit, molasses-
under regulations as to packing-cofee,
tea, spices, plum buildings, women's
hats, curtains, fluffy millinery, clothing,
linen; in short, everything. AS acct
dents happen in even the best regulated
post-offices, man may receive a waist
coat smeared with butter and his wife
may be handed white chiffon stained
with peach juice; but, as in Germany
the sender is responsible for damage.
At Christmastime the variety of arti-
Giles becomes greater, for it is then as
wide as human fancy. Turkeys are
then familiar post consignment, and
the ill-natured say that it is surprising
how many turkeys lose their labels.
Although there is dead-letter office,
there seems not to be one for dead
turkeys.
Throughout the shooting season
game is commonly sent; and it is
! frequent sight to see a hare in the
post, or brace of grouse or quail tied
together at the neck.
The London department stores make
use of the system to a great and in
creasing extent. At least one of them
has branch post-office established
within its doors, thus following the ex-
ample of some American stores; but
this English department-store post
office differs from the American in that
the greatest part of its business is the
handling of parcels for every part of the
country and for even its most distant
colonies. About sixty per cent of the
parcels-post business of Great Britain
originates in London alone.
1t has been cleverly remarked that
there are only four objections to the
establishment of the parcels-post in
America--the United States Express
Company, the Adams Express Com
pany, the American Express Company
and the Wells Fargo. Although these
are undoubtedly ready to fight desper-
ately against change, the principal
objection lies with the business men
of the smaller cities and towns through
out the country. They are in deadly
fear lest the great stores of the large
cities take away material part of their
trade. Through their influence upon
Congressman legislation for parcels
post has been kept at standstill.
Among other arguments they claim
that giving full rein to the department
stores of the great cities would so des-
troy the business of small towns as to
put the towns themselves practically
out of existence and thus work meal
culable harm and havoc, destroying To-
cal schools and society as we'll as shop
ping. I do not know of any better
comment on such an argument than to
point out the vast number of charming
towns, charming villages and attractive
small cities which continue to exist in
happiness in England and in Germany.
The principal advantage of the par
cels-post, an advantage so great that
its value can scarcely be overestimated,
is the making of country and suburban
life attractive by keeping the people in
close, cheap and easy touch with the
cities. This would be even more i'm
portant in America, on account Of the
growing tendency to country life-to
'commuting"- on the part of city
workers. The most charming and de-
sirable suburbs in America are those of
Philadelphia. This is largely owing to
the broad policy of the railroads there
in carrying marketing fruits and
the like-to suburban stations, for
nothing; and host Of other things
clothing, millinery, hardware, ice
cream, caterers goods-for five or ten
cents.
AS to the parcels-post and the i'm
mense public convenience of 1.-THE
hundreds of millions of packages carried
by the postal service in Europe every
year-the people over there look at
America in amazement, because they
know that as people we consider our
selves so progressive and advanced!
They especially marvel at postal sys-