The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-12-27
PARCELS POST AND
WHAT IT ENTAILS
Importance of New Service
Cannot Be Adequately
Estimated Now.

WASHINGTON. d. G., Dec. 27.-The
inauguration of the parcels post plan
in the United States on Wednesday
next, Jan. l, 1913, will make one of
the most important epOchs in the de-
velOpment of the American postal
service. The last previous step of i'm
portance was taken when the Rural
Free Delivery System was put into eff
feet fifteen years ago. The introduc
ton of the parcels post system was
put into effect fifteen years ago. The
introduction of the parcels post sys
tenn had been agitated for ten years
without material progress when Rural
Free Delivery became fact. Since
then the demand for the introduction
of a parcels post system in the United
States became so urgent that Con-
sress finally, Notwithstanding the
most strenuous opposition from GER
tain interested quarters, yielded to the
wishes of the people and enacted a
parcels post law.
The framing of the law was not an
easy matter, as the whole scheme was
in the nature of an experiment upon a
tremendous scale. 1t is true, the franz
ers of the law had for their guidance
the laws and regulations of number
of foreign countries where the parcels
post has been in successful operation
for many years, but the conditions of
the postal service in the United
States are so radically different from
those OF the postal service in other
countries that it was not an easy mat
ter to adapt their laws to American
conditions and requirements.
At last the law was drafted, submit
ed to congress and passed and Janu-
airy l, 1913 was fixed as the date for
its going into effect. The many radi-
cal changes in the postal service ne
cessitated by the requirements of the
parcels post system imposed a ire
mendous burden of work upon the pos
tai authorities and during the last
three months several of the depart
ments worked practically day and
night to complete the preparation for
the inauguration of the new service.
An entirely new series of stamps for
the exclusive use of the parcels post
service had to be designed, engraved,
printed and distributed new scales,
with a capacity of eleven pounds, to
meet the requirements of the new
weight limit, had to be contracted for,
manufactured and sent to the various
post offices in the country; maps
showing the zones into which the
country has been divided for the pur-
0f Tix-;,, toI ;-ta
rate, and books containing the various
regulations and rules governing the
new branch of the postal service had
to be printed and distributed among
the thousands of post offices through
out the country. In addition to all
this special provision as to space,
means of handling the parcels post,
etc, had to be made at all larger Off
ces, so as to have everything in readi-
ness when the law goes into effect
next Wednesday.
The postal authorities have been
given the assurance that the prepare
tons are now practically completed,
but they realize that owning to the
preparations are now practically COM
pleted, but they realize that owing to
the newness of the system and the
lack of previous experience as to it's
operation, it may develop at first
many defects and shortcomings which
will have TO be gradually corrected.
The public is expected TO be patient
and to give the postal department
reasonable time to perfect the work
ing OF the plan in all its details.
The Importance of the new service
can scarcely be adequately estimated
AT the present time. 1t ContemplateS
the transportation and delivery by the
postal service of the United States of
fourth class, not exceeding eleven
pounds in weight and six feet in cir
conference from any point reached by
the present postal service to any 9th
er point reached by that service. The
parcels post service OF the govern
ment extends far beyond the limited
sphere of the various express COM
panies, over more than one million
miles of rural routes and ass, 900 miles
of rail- boat and star routes, embrac-
ing about $4,000 post offices and 2s5.-
600 employees connected with the post
al service. The rates of transportation
are a great deal cheaper than the cor
responding rates of the express COM
panies, which means an enormous saw
ing TO shippers, aside from the great
er facilities offered TO them.
tndeT the new law everything will
, De AVAILABLE tnat is maIIabIe now as