Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-03-14
POST NOW
NEARLY DUE IS
FHE BELIEF
Congress Has Side Stepped
Measure for twenty-five
Years; Arguments Against
ItWorn Out.

members OF congress are feeling the
pressure from both sides. Definite
action Is being demanded from many
quarters. The president has APPROX
I'd the adoption Of n parcels post.
recommended By Postmaster General
Hitchcock. senator Jonathan Bourne
OF Oregon hag introduced a parcels
post measure In the upper chamber.
Representative Moon OF Tennessee
has provided Tor a limited parcels
post system IN the regular postofice
appropriation DILL recently introduced
in the house.
The statesmen say n history r. 70
be saken as a criterion the parcels
post In due IN tho United states.
Every congress for about a quarter
OF century has had before u a bill
70 establish a parcels post In this
country. In England a parcels nost
Has suggested that length OF time or
even longer, before they accepted Il.
For years English officials siliVered
on the brink OF the great enterprise
before they stepped IN TO find a solid
foundation.
In the United states tho argument
OF dire consequences has been oppos-
% 10 the measure also. Nearly every
conmittee for twenty-five years has
reported the bill favorabiy, but
through legislative trlckery II has
been permitted 20 die az the end OF
the secession upon THE calendar. Even
the enemies Of the parcels post admit
that the bills operation would be OF
ths greatest benefit 10 the greatest
number OF people. but powerful polit-
Teal influences, selfish influences.
have been able to see to Il that the
breath OF life was not breathed into
II.
The express companies lobby Is as
active as It has been a quarter Of a
century However the express COM
panics have good. strong allies, espec-
tally when politics Is taken into con-
sideratlon. Those helpmates are the
country retail merchant. They con-
tend that TO put the parcels post in
10 operation would eventually drive
them out OF business and that the
mail order houses would be the chief
beneficiaries. Senators and repre-
seniatlves evidently are afraid Of thRt
opposition. They argue that a retail
merchant might be injUved here and
there. and admit that for every one
injured a hundred farmers and town
residents would be benefited. yet they
say the antagonism OF the merchants
would be more Injurious TO their cam
didacies for reelection than the
friendship Of those benefited woaid
De helpful
II Is argued by many that the par
cells post would help rather than in
jure the country merchant A con-
stituent put the argument IA this way
"The local dealers stock Is OF nee
ossity limited. A customer comes In
and calls for some particular thing or
telephones to town for Il. The dealer
has not got Il. Tie knows that he
cannot order Il by express for the
charges VIII more than eat up his
profits. The customer goes home,
looks mp the article Ia a mail cata-
logue, makes up a 10o-pound freight
order, sends u Ia and IN a week the
goods are delivered az the nearest
railroad station. II the government
carried merchandise NJ or near cost.
che dealer could supply his customer's
wants by ordering the goods when
called for and thus do a larger bnsi-
ness with a smaller stock. The need
ed repairs for some machine could be
brought TO the farmers door without
paying the expreas company two or
three times the orlginal cost
ALSO the farmer co,iid order fresh
meat and supplies from his country
merchant and have them delivered
By the rural carrier
Another advantage would be the
possibility Of the farmer dealing di-
rect with the city consumer OF his
products. The city consumer often
pays 40 to so per cent more for pro-
duoe thsn the farmer resolves. This
ought not 20 be. Too many middle
men viii increase she cost Of hvins
more than the tariff.
The bin introduced BY senator Jon-
athan Hourne OF Oregon D. now IN the
committee on postonices and post
roads II IL quite probable n wilh
sometime later be reported favor
ably. II "a g.. there VIII be SOMEONE
or rather several senator's who will
try 20 see to Il that IL il placed az the
foot OF tho calendar, there 20 expire
and be thrown into the waste paper
basket al the end OF the session.
The Bourne bill is very short IT.
provisions, 10 effect are that an IL
pound package may be- sent through
the malls az twelve cents a pound.
The present regulation ~ that the
maximum weiSht Of a mail package
shall be- four pounds ana that the
postage shall be- sixteen cents q
pound.
a does not seem 70 be generally
appreciated that a comprehensive sys-
tenn OF parcels post e. now ana has
been for many years IN satisfactory
operation In most of the fOrelgn coun-
tries.
In practically an of those countries
the postage rate 81 much leaf than 10
proposed under the bourne bil. In
fact the Bourne brl merely asks that
the people OF fhe United stntes be
given the same privilege as 10 postal
rates, between themselves tn the
United states a. tho country now
gives foreign residonts In che United
states who Send parcels abroad,
49,. Il. 1. -. -. ...aaasa fsurnFla