The Detroit times., 1911-11-30
+ f INGRAM MAKES STRONG
PLEA FOR PARCELS POST
Says Express Companies Make
Enormous Profits At Expense
OF Business Men.

Several good reasons why a parcels
post should be established I'm this
country were urged by Frederick r.
ingram, In a talk before the Detroit
Credit Mems association, following a
dinner In the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
den cafe, Tuesday night. lie said in
part:
Someone has said: You can mail
parcels now, so what's the use OF a
parcels post9' The statement and the
question were probably prompted by
an empty stomach That man was
more interested in something TO eat
than in improving transportation.
Yes, we can mail parcels now. The
postoffice will take parcel up TO IL
pounds In weight and not over y
feet wide and six feet long and de
liver IL 10 any postotiice in China or
Japan. Iceland, or the Farce Islands,
Patagonia or San Salvador or any or
40 far-off countries where we are not
likely 10 have any customers, at II
cents pound but you cant send 70
Pontiac or lpsilant or any town IN
Michigan, where you might have
customer. such package nor any
package at so low rate. No. you
must pay Is cents instead OF IL cents
a pound, and YOU can't send over four
pounds at any price. unless you are
publisher In that case. you can send
any weight. a whole sack full Ar that
matter. and clear across the CONT
nent for one cent pound
And II you happen 10 be a con
gresham you may send your sam
al $50,
disc, your household goods, your iron
safe or sideboard by mail. and II won't
cost you a cent. II all goes free TO
Alaska. Hawaii. Porto Rico, any
where, far Or near. II you are con
gresham. II is only the desplsed
American, unofficial taxpayer and bus
mess man who is soaked, but my,
how he is soaked Think Of the ex-
press companies dividends, 100 per
cent. 200 per cent 300 per cent, al the
expense OF the American business
man The opposition or indifference
OF business men 10 parcels post has
lost 10 US what little of it We once
had, an eightcent-apound rate and
l1pound weight limit in 1878.
We can't even ship by express. the
only service we have left, unless we
pay parasitical corporations called
express companies, an outrageous
price.
For example, the express charge
TO Ann Arbor is so cents per leo
pounds; 70 Dallas, Texas, S.. OF this
charge, the railroad receives, for
transportation TO Ann Arbor, % SIS
CESS, and the express company, for
forwarding and delivering, 26.l5 cents.
To Dallas, the railroad receives
s23S. and the express company.
s261l2.
The charge for forwarding and lie
livery which the express companies
do in both instances. and is the same
in both instances. is 90 cents There
fore. the rate to Dallas really is $23S,
plus % cents, or $2.64, so the charge
to Dallas should be S2.64. The excess
overs this charge, $2.61.-is extortion
according to the express companies
themselves.
This year a contract between the
American Express Co. and his males
ty George VS. government, was dug
up by those troublesome parcels post
advocates who sometimes visit Wash
ington. II is dated way back in Ap
sdst. 1902 Under it, the express com.
panies are now delivering and have
been delivering the past nine years,
threepound packages for one shilling,
six pence seven-pound, for two snlll
ings, or IS cents; 4 pounds, two shill-
ings, six pence. so cents all over TIE
United States. oh, ii is great TO be
an American citizen. greater 10 be an
American business man.
IF business men would get busy
and demand fair, square and hopest
deal for their small shipments, be-
lieve they would get H. and get II
quickly and ii would end a serious
waste that we must now charge TO
profit and loss. II would increase our
business. and reduce The general cost
,of living II would also reduce vexa-
ton and profanity and promote re-
ligion."
1T requires more patriotism TO
make n true statement 10 the tax as.
SCISSOR than TO damn a railroad or
curse a trust" said Lawton T. He.
mans. speaking on Practical patriot
ISM" In the same meeting IT takes
more TO pay fair wages than 10
scintillate on the unequal distribu-
ton OF wealth. Nothing makes pa