The Detroit times., 1912-08-02
PEOPLE WILL HAVE
REAL PARCELS POST
Senate is to Pass Bourne Provis-
ion, House Will Accept and
Taft is Favorable

WASHINGTON, Aug latter
years OF effort. and in spite OF the
opposition OF the express companies
and allied interests, the people are TO
have within short time real par
cells post. says John Cailan O'Lough-
lin. in dispatch IL the Chicago Trib-
une.
The senate MI pass. after consid
cradle debate, the Bourne provision
Of the postofhce appropriation bill
providing for the zone system oil gov
ernmentai distribution OF packages.
The house Democrats, in order 10
carry out the plank OF the national
Democratic platform on this subject.
will accept the senate provision
A victory for the people is prom.
ised By this prospect, and decided
blow will be struck at the business
OF the express companies. The lat.
ter, realizing the strength OF the de
mand for an adequate parcels posi-,
grasped eagerly at the house pro
vision limiting the service 10 rural
routes only and authorizing the APP
pointment OF congressional commits
sion to investigate the matter and re-
port fully next winter. Another in
vestieation, of course, would mean
merely further delay.
The progressives OF the senate, led
by Senator Bourne, determined, how
ever, to authorize a service which
would apply TO the whole country and
give all the people the benefit OF its
creation
A bill was prepared. which was re-
ported favorably to the senate as d
feature OF the postoffice appropriation
bill, providing for:
cheap and simple rural route and
city delivery parcels post.
Division of the United States and
its possessions into eight appropri-
ate postal zones.
Fixing for delivery within these
zones on a graduated scale OF postage
rates based upon the cost OF handling
aud transportation
II is frankly admitted by Senator
Bourne and other advocates OF the
parcels post provision that its fea-
lures are not perfect. But with eX-
perience IL is believed additional leg.
islation can be enacted which eyentu-
ally will provide the people with as
satisfactory a service as is in use in
ali foreign lands.
The provision is objected to be
cause IL does not expressly enumerate
articles OF warm produce which shall
be mailable. But it authorizes the
transportation OF all commodities
not now carried as first, second, or
third-class mail within the weight
and size limit and not injurious to the
mails or postal employees"
Other criticisms OF the bill are that
Il provides an eleven-pound limit,
that II does not include a collect on
delivery system, as to both postal
charges and price of the article ship
ped. that 1t does not provide for insur-
ance or naturalization that the rates
are higher than the indicated cost OF
the service requires, that the admin
trative branch should have authority
to change rates and zones, and that
the present compensation of railroads
for transportation of the mails is ex-
cessive. which excess must be a bur-
den on the parcels post service.
The committee, in a report to the
senate, asserts that the additional
features suggested should be and later
will be Incorporated In the parcels
post sevice. But it holds that 1t would
be unwise 10 extend so many innova-
tons into the postoffice department.
and believes the department should be
permitted TO establish a service on
sound general lines and subsequently
to improve it, This Is in accordance
with the views of the postmaster-gen-
eral.
So far as the rates proposed are
concerned, they are in nearly all cases
lower than prevailing express rates,
and especially low for the smaller
sized packages. They are not as low,
however, as the rates which the inter
state commerce commission has or
dered the express companies to adopt
" the experience under the rates pro-
posed should demonstrate that reduc-
ton can be made, then the law may
be amended
In view OF the obstacles always
placed in the way OF legislation, II
would seem desirable TO authorize the
postofiice department TO raise or low.
er the rates whenever IL deems K
proper The express companies will
not consent TO anything OF the kind.
end the men who are friendly to them
in congress are insisting upon legisla.
tive fixing OF the rates.
In defense of the rates proposed by
the committees bill, II is pointed out
that while on some weights and zones
they are somewhat higher than the
express company rates proposed by
the interstate commerce commission,
II should be remembered that the
service given by the postal system
will be much more extensive than
that OF the express companies