Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-07-04
Mistellaneous &eadina.
FOR A PARCELS POST.
The FalIacy of Some of the Arsu-
nnents BROUGHT Auainst IL.


ments Brought Against It.
The passage by the senate last week
Of Mr.. Rourne's resolution authorizing
an investigation Of the postal system
may be the first step toward parcels
post-that Is; a parcels post such as
the people Of nearly all civilized
lands except the United States enjoy
The denial OF this great modern ap-
pliance to the American people, is
perhaps. the most fragrant illustra-
ton Of the power Of selfish and sinis-
ter interests in the country. Just as
soon as a parcels post Is suggested
the rich express companies and those
that are interested In their stocks and
bonds and railroad stocks and bonds
push forward the poor country mer-
chant as the victim Of the parcels
post. They do this just as the trusts
that are opposing Canadian reciproc-
ity are putting forward the farmer
and supplying money to send grange
agents" to Washington. These trusts
do not care for the farmers any more
than the express companies and their
stockholders care for the country mer-
chant. They use both to impress the
rural congressman.
The fear Is, or the pretence Is, that
parcels post would enable the peo-
pie in the country to get their goods
cheaper than they can buy them
from the country merchant, and so
injure the latter or compel him to sell
cheaper If the parcels post would
enable country people to get their
pie to get food cheaper, are they to be
denied this advantage? If 1t Is to be
the policy of the government to sup
port the country merchants, why not
levy a general tax for that purpose
Why put their support on the country
people alone?
Forty years ago there were shoe
makers in every village. The big shoe
factories have driven them out Of bus
mess. There were wagon makers,
plough makers, carriage makers. All
Of them have been put out Of business
by the big manufacturers. Farmers
will not buy a homemade plough or
homemade wagon or homemade
shoes, because they can buy better
ones from the factories for less money
All these mechanics were an advan-
tac 70 ha MI tfac In tui HI oh fhaxJ
lived. But the government did moth
ing to protect them. All Of them
have found other employment, and
the farmers are prospering, and have
the advantage Of better machinery
ploughs and vehicles than they had In
the olden time.
The arguments we hear from the
ignorant or interested opponents OF
the parcels post are old and familiar
1t was protested that the railroads
would injure the rural communities
because they would put the stage
coaches out of business and take the
trade away from numberless wayside
taverns, and would destroy the breed
er's market for his horses. The rail-
roads came, however, and the coun-
try still lives. In England riots took
place when labor-saving machinery
was put in the cotton mills. In Mary
land violence was threatened when
binding reapers were first employed
Every advance in civilization Is oppos-
ed by those employed in the old
methods and by those individuals who
think they will lose money by it.
In point of fact, the parcels post
will not hurt the country merchant.
The country merchant Is hurt now by
inefficient railroad service and by the
heavy express charges. 1t will not
hurt him to give him better transpor-
tation at cheaper rates. His trade is
mainly in heavy articles, which the
postal service could not handle, or In
articles which he gets by railroad
freight in great bulk.
The parcels post would not be any
innovation. It would be only the en-
largement upon a reasonable basis OF
the present parcels post system. That
is, It would merely increase the size OF
the package which would be received
in the mails, from four pounds, the
present limit, and make reasonable
reduction from the present rate OF
sixteen cents pound. Even after the
the parcels post Is established, there
will be plenty Of business for the ex-
press companies. The great bulk OF
their business, such, for instance, as
transporting oysters and fruit by the
carload or goods and produce in large
quantities would be untouched. The
postoffice would compete with them in
less bulky packages, and large part
Of the postal business would be In
carrying packages to points which the
express companies do not reach and
in bringing to the cities packages of
food which now Is wasted on the
farms for lack of transportation
Baltimore Sun.