The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1912-02-09
PARCELS POST AND
MAIL ORDER.IRADE

S. supreme court has decided that the
l.. & N. Railway Co, could not refuse
to carry beer for the Cook Brewing
company of Evansville, Ind, into dry
Kentucky counties and that the Ken
tucky local option statute attempting
to forbid such importations could not
operate against interstate commerce,
Chief Postofiice Inspector Sharp re-
ports that during 1911, 522 persons
were indicted for mail order frauds or
the 1876 tried 1S4 we're convicted, II
acquitted. III await trial. 72 await
grand jury action. 2s were arrested
but not indicted.
Hon Oscar Underwood, chairman OF
the house committee upon ways and
means insists upon more economy in
public expenditures.
The Lorimer investigation has been
suspended because of illness OF At
torney Hanecy, Lorlmer's counsel.
The Moss committee of the house
has exonerateo DR.. II. w. Wiley from
charges of conspiracy.
The reported activity OF men close
to Geo. w. Perkins of u. S. Steel
for southern delegates gives eredence
to the report that Col Roosevelt will
accept
The hearings of the senate postoiiice
committee upon the proposed parcels
post are drawing to a close. Some or
the phases brought out are the follow
ing:
To the casual observer it has seemed
easy and reasonable for this govern
ment to institute successfully a sys-
tenn upon the order of that operated
in European countries The twenty
eight million copies of farm journals
published each month have given
plethorlc advocacy The ordinary
reader had failed to see the counting
room influence back of editorial en-.
dorsement of these and the popular
mag zines. They themselves have
not disclosed that it does not pay local
dealers to advertise in such periodi
Gals an dthat these are supported by
advertising from houses which aim to
sell direct to consumer to the elimina
ton Of the "middle-man.' 1t has been
shown that you cannot eliminate
him without uprooting many other 10
cal interests; the local newspapers
banks--in fact every other element Of
d towns vitality, and damaging prop
erty values including those Of sur
rounding lands that consumers woul(
then pay more than they now pay
since the profits of retail mail ordel
houses in many instances are more
than that of wholesaler and retailer
combined.
Some people seem to have beer
astounded that the mercantile associa
tions have put up such fight agains
business determination OF their mem
bers. Here and there 1t has been sug
gested that the express companies
must be back of IT, etc.
When this charge was made by al
advocate before the senate postofticI
committee. its injustice was so sppar
ent that Senator Bourne, chairman oi
the committee himself an advocate
of parcels post, promptly said that he
had not seen or heard OF any repre-
sentative o fan express company rs
sfsting in the opposition.
Some people not on the scene anC
among these few local newspaper
publishers, who evidently have read
only one side of the question-act ant
talk as though they thought the retail
merchants OF the smaller cities and
towns of the country were a lot OF do
ellie chumps willing to be effaced C
accommodate retail mail-order houses
Representatives Of nearly all of the
mercantile associations have been be
fore the senate postofIiee committee
with their protests revealing an "othel
side" which mail-order journals have
not disclosed.
The merchants have said that eiefei
pounds proposed for immediate in
crease is a convenient weight limi
for the purposes Of the retail mai
order houses; because something NOR
than 80 per cent Of sales will come un
der the eleven pound limit 1t is sat
to be also the weight Of gallon o
whisky and container. Merchant
have oontended that they are entitle
10 some consideration IN Tie commun
ties in which they live because the
support local institutions aud ente
prises, pay taxes, etc; that, If the go
ernment goes into the business
transporting an eleven-pound packae
$500 miles for the same price as Il
25 miles. the chief benefeiaries vi
be the retail mail-order houses an
fba foaff.arinr ion