The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1911-01-21
CONDEMNS PARCELS Post,

aHsiVI6V VVi
Progressive Union Adopts Resoll
tions Protesting Against Extel
sion Of System Beyond Its Pre-
ent Limitations.
At the meeting of the board of directo
OF the Progressive Union held !. ia Il
rooms of the DonaIdsonville Social Club
the 10th inst, the following resolution
were adopted:
10 the Senate and House of Represen
atives Of the. United States:
The undersigned respectfully protest
against the enactment by congress Of an
legislation for the extension of the parcel
post beyond its present limitations, for th
following reasons:
Il. It would create an enorrnus defici
IN the pational treasury for the govern
ment to undertake to carry merchandis
] OF fiat rate of postage, charging NJ
more for three thousand miles than for on.
mile It would be impossible to avoit
such deficit unless the government
should assume an absolute monopoly q
the transportation of all merchandise tha,
could be sent by parcels post, which il
impractical and impossible under the con-
dltlons existing in this country.
y. 1t would revolutionize the com
merclal system in the United States.
lhe country merchants, carrying large
stocks of goods from which consumers can
personally select their purchases, and the
JobDers IN all lines of trade, who In turn
supply the country merchants, would be
eliminated from that commercial field.
The commercial traveller would also be
eliminated. His place would be filled
with costly catalogues and lavish adyer-
tising by mail order concerns. No saving
would result to the ultimate consumer who
is now the customer Of the country mer-
chant.
= The evils caused by the congestion
sof population IN great cities would be ag-
:gravated, because hundreds Of millions Of
dollars Of trade now done by the country
merchants in the country towns, villages
and small cities in all parts of the United
States would be transferred to the large
cities where the retail mail order con-
Germs are located. The loss Of that trade
would deplete the population and destroy
the prosperity of numerous country towns
and villages. which are now commercial,
social and educational centers.
ID The proposed local rural parcels
post would create the same evil results.
La every country town, catalogue agents
Of mail order concerns would establish
themselves and make their profit BY COM
missions on orders secured for mail order
houses. which would be shipped by freight
Or express to the town where the rural
route initiated, and be distributed from
here by local parcels post. The country
merchant would lose the trade and his
business would be destroyed by this com
1etition. He could not meet it, because
1e could not afford either to print cata-s
ogue or Carry the enormous stock neces-. {
ary to meet the aggressive irroads that ,
would be made into his trade field by the i
ocal agent Of the big catalogue concerns
n the large cities. The plea that the To-
al rural parcels post would not injure the I
ountry merchant is misleading and de-
eptive The advocates Of the scheme !
re those who want to deprive the coun- :
~ merchant Of his trade. a local rural i
'arceis post would not enlarge the postal Ii
eyenues. All additional receipts would !
e absorbed by the increased cost Of Ii
auipment and service. The delivery. ef 4 !
he mails would also be seriously del
aged. G. s 80 E.
;a.DoN>ALpsQnyyIlIE \ ! n I lE PROGRESSIVE
UNION ENl1.IEe9 9
allen. RhaaaENsTiEL, President. !. !