Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1911-02-02
More ON Parcels Post

| OSNSidl "CCNo ago Inc NEWS came
out squarely against the parcels post.
We have been taken to task by a
few for our stand, but so far no
arguments have been advanced in its
favor except that it is in opposition
to the "robber express companies. "
We cannot even concede this point,
and while we are informed that the
express companies are fighting the
measure we have failed to find any,
thing to prove that this is true.
We still. stand by our original
statements. We believe it the duty
of a newspaper to stand for the best
interests of the town and county
upon which it depends for support,
and while a few have seen fit to
criticise US for the stand we have
taken we are not going to back
down
The question has been raised as
to how The News knows the parcels
post will further increase the postal
deficit. This is an easy question to
answer. The postoffice department
is not now self supporting and it is
very plain that if greater volume
of business is transacted at a less
rate there must necessarily be
greater loss.
The only thing we have read In
favor of the parcels post is that the
country people want it. Now, per-
haps some of them do. But do
these country people know what the
result would he?
AS we have repeatedly said we are
not going to antagonize the farmers,
and if they understand the PROPOSE
ton thoroughly, have figured on the
ultimate outcome of buying by mail
and still desire the measure, then by
all means let them have it.
The general public rely on the
newspapers for information and it is
not at all surprising that many of
our farmer friends are favorable to
the parcels post. The country
newspapers, lacking backbone to de-
nounce, the measure for fear of los
ing prestige, have remained silent as
the grave, and the only information
the farmer has had on the subject
has come through the farm papers.
These farm papers depend on
the mail order house for their
entire patronage, and every item
favorable to the parcels post origi-
mates in the camp of the mail
order trust. Therefore there is lit
tie wonder that that farmer, seeing
only one side of the case, and that
from the mail order standpoint, is
partial to the bill.
Some who antagonize us in this
matter defend themselves by saying
the country merchants are "robbing
the people" We are familiar with
this threadbare argument, having
heard it applied to the newspaper
business for sixteen years, and have
been accused of the same offense
many times when the business lack
ed considerable of paying expenses.
There are few things which the
catalogue houses can sell cheaper
(f. o. b. Chicago than the country
merchant and there is good reason
for the difference. These houses
handle no perishable stuff, no po-
tatoes, vegetables, fresh fruit, eggs,
butter and numerous other lines
which the country merchant must
keep, and on which he very often
loses. They do not buy farm pro-
duce and sell at loss as occurs at
times with the country merchant.
They handle only original packages
which they do not break, stand loss,
of weighing, sacks and de-
livery as our merchants do. They
get their money in advance in every
instance, and have only to stick a
label on the package, throw it into
an express wagon and the trans.
action is complete. With this diff