Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-11-15
PLAN FOR PARCELS POST
Postmaster General Has Evolved
Scheme For Installation.
BITTER OPPOSITION TO 1T.
Scheme For Incorporation Of System
OF Carrying Parcels by Mail t.
Receive Consideration.


Postmaster General Hitchcock 8
plan for the Incorporation of a par
eel post, or a system whereby large
parcels of merchandise may be sent
through the mail, and delivered the
same as packages of fourth class
matter at present, will be vigorously
opposed in some quarters, and he is
liable to have considerable difficulty
In securing the $15O,OOO appropria-
ton he intends to ask congress for
this coming session with which to
experiment with this service.
Last year a recommendation was
sent to congress for this purpose, but
1t never got out of the committees
TO which 1t was referred. This year
the postmaster will ask for a speci-
nc appropriation. or the $3.50,
requested. $4,000 for trial In free
delivery cities, and $4,000 for ex-
pertinent with 1t upon railway and
steamboat routes.
Ever. since receiving the cabinet
portfolio. the Postmaster General has
interested himself in this subject.
He has given close study to the oper-
alton of the parcel post service
abroad, familiarizing himself with
It's difficulties as well as its advant-
ages, and he has finally evolved a
Plan for the postal service of this
country, which he believes to be rea-
sonable, practical and satisfactory.
The plan outlined by the Postmas-
ter General contemplates the gradual
Introduction of the parcel post, and
the slow but sure preparation of the
department and its employees to
handle the business within limited
areas, and gradual extension OF the
system until the whole country is
covered and 1t will be as simple a
after to mail a parcel to Maine for
FrTer- So send II 10 local sher-
chant, or from one county to an
other.
Mr.. Hitchcock wishes II under
stood that he does not intend to ad-
yocate the widespread taking over
i1to the postal service of the express
business of the country. and he does
NOT pronnSa hy q ciryIa nroy;stzu -
the law to take into the mails all
which the public might
wish to send. Before the system is
very far, the Postmaster
General will ascertain and have fixed
by law weight limit and other re-
The parcel post will be confined to
one route at first. parcels to be
handled originating on that route
and be addressed to a person living
along the same delivery line. II the
operation is success, the service
will be extended route by route. but,
for time 1t will be of purely local
nature. Not until the department Is
fully prepared to take charge Of this
gigantic undertaking will the service
an exchange between
cities and communities.
Considerable opposition to a par
Gel post Is expected from express
who contend that II Is an
encroachment upon private industry.
Another and more serious quarter
which will probably oppose the
scheme for service of this nature will
be the merchants of the smaller
cities and towns. These people con-
tend that such system as advocated
by the Postmaster General would be
the death knell of the small cities,
In as much as the parcel post would
bring the big mail order houses of
the metropolis into competition with
home industry. and these concerns,
with their greater advantages and
output could underbid and destroy
the merchants. In the smaller COM
munities.