The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1912-10-11
PARCELS POST.
Commissioners From Washington
Visits Frederick County and
Gets Idea.

erlcE county farmers on Saturday last
October 5th, not only hailed with en-
thuslasm the establishment of a Parcel
Post system next January as a new er.
in the nations transportation develop
ment, but offered several new ideas fo
its operation and use, one of which wa
warmly received by the Parcels Pos
Commission from Washington City
which has completed a three.d day triT
through Maryland seeking new ideas
and views on the governments pro
posed new postofiice function.
The new idea which struck the com
mission with SO much favor was the ere
alton ofa "farpr product market basket
The suggestion was made by Jesse B.
King, florist of Mount Airy, and grew
out of Congressman David !. Lewis
scheme for vehicle to lay down at the
city kitchen produce directly from the
farm. The contention, of course, is
that such a vehicle would reduce the
cost of living in the city and develop a
market for produce that otherwise goes
to waste on the farm.
In bringing out the idea Mr.. King
asked the commission if provision could
be made for a basket to contain a
dressed chicken, apples, beans, peas, a
head OF cabbage, and other table ne
CeSSitieS. His idea was the construction
OF basket in which farmer or truck
raiser could ship by Parcels Post directly
TO the city consumer enough vegetables
for several dinners and thus eliminate the
middle man cost.
The commissioners took to the scheme
ell II
tons to the farmers and others during
the whole day. This line of interroga-
tions brought out these points Farmers
could work up customers IN the city for
these baskets, which could be shipped
every day or so. Vegetables and fruit
which often go to waste for lack of
market could be placed in them and
sold. The cost of living in the city
would be reduced about one-thrd as the
scheme developed. The weight of II
pounds for market baskets" could be
raised to 20 and rs pounds, with a lower
rate for the local zones
The cost of delivery of the II pounds
farm product basket" would be Is
cents in the local zones. In other words,
a truck farmer residing OH a rural route
running out of Baltimore would be ena-
bled to send daily baskets of vegetables
to his customers in that city for the small
amount of IS cents each.
1t is believed that the commission will
include the idea in its recommendation
to the Postmaster-G
The Parcels Post Commission held
three sessions on Saturday. The first
was with the merchants, the second with
the farmers and the third with the rural
mail carriers. These meetings clearly
showed that but for Congressman Lewis,
of the Sixth Congressional District, the
Parcels Post legislation would have
lacked the provisions that the small
town business man and farmers desire.
The provisions upon which stress was
laid were those admitting farm and fac
tory products, indemnihcation for any
lost packages collection on delivery and
the lowest rate for the local zones in
order to check the big mail order houses.
All of these provisions Congressman
Lewis advocated in the House of Rep
resentatives and forced Senator Bourne
to accept in the Senate and House Con-
ference Committee. None of these pro-
visions was embodied in the original bill.
Among the merchants who discussed
the bill with the commission were John
d. HendrickSon, Captain ohm d. Mar
key, Edgar S. McCardell, James H.
Harris, c. Thomas Kemp, David Low
enstein. James H. Harris and Charles
Wertheimer.
Mr.. Lowenstein objected at first to the
Parcels Post. He said it would give
the big mail-order houses and merchants
of Baltimore and Philadelphia chance
to directly reach the farming ira de
through cheap transportation, to the in
jury of the small merchant 1t was
pointed out to Mr.. Lowenstein that his
firm would have cheaper rate than
firm in any other CITY in order to reach
the farmers on the rural free routes run
ming out of Frederick These local
zone rates are S cents for the first
pound and I cent ior each additional
pound. Mr.. Lowenstein afterwards
told the commission that his objections
had been overcome.
1t is said that several Frederick mer-
chants object to the establishment of the
Parcels Post on the same grounds, but
in all three of the Maryland cities where
the commission called these fears were
allayed, according 10 the commission,
after the bill had been explained
John d. Hendrickson, big dry
goods merchant, approved of the Parcels
Post. He said that it would enable him
to deliver goods at low rate ic the
country districts. Orders could be tele-
phoned in ard filled the same day He
also said that he would be enabled to
get special orders of goods from Balti-
more, like pair of shoes or a piece of
dress goods, and have them shipped
direct from Baltimore to the purchaser
on the farm.
Captain d. John Markey, shoe mer.
chant, said that he has often to place a
special order for shoes in Baltimore and
Boston. The express rates would be
cut in two by the Parcels Post and then
the shoes could be shipped direct to the
purchaser on the farm or IN the city.
Edgar S. McCardell, candy mer.
chant, said that he intended to use the
Parcels Post to develop, his trade in the
country districts. All the merchants
wanted was the insurance and collect or
delivery provisions.
Professor Joseph H. Apple, of the
Womans' College offered new sugges
ton He said that students at his col
lege would be enabled to send theil
laundry home and have it returned at :
| low rate.
Many farmers were present at the
farmers hearing. They included Olivel
! Wrenn, President OF the Farmers Inst
tute; Claude Dutrow, Phillip Lee. T. B
! Hayward and Mr.. Cramer Mr.. Wrenr
says that he pays between $500 and S3oC
for expressage on goods that he order
from the city. With Parcels Post, h,