The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-11-14
PARCEL POST OPEN To
MERCHANDISE
Of All Kinds Practically With the ~.
erptlon OF Book.

- handling the heavy Christmas
mail with unprecedented s@iftnass
The Postoliice Department will have a
dress rehearsal for the Inauguration
Of the parcel post on New Years day.
Ordinarily the Christmas mail is be
yond the facilities Of the postal force.
and part of it accumlates for two or
three days This year sufficient
number OF extra clerks. carriers.
wagons and automobiles vii be pro
Fided to keep il moving, and the
larger force viii be carried over into
the following week for tho aceommo-
dalton Of the parcel post
The Postmaster General, Nr. Frank
Hitchcock, is connected with q prot
lem calling not only for the estab-
lishment Of a postal express business
covering all The qualifications Of long
established private express com
panies. but Is required to extend the
service to more than one million
miles of rural free delivery and star
routes.
j Why Congress appropriated only
/ $780, O0 for the new service. when the
cost of 10000 scales required will be
from 100000 TO 100000, and tie
purchase OF necessary wagons, rental
of storage space and employment Of
extra labor will many times exceed
that sum, will long remain a puzzle.
On the day Congress adjourned the
Postmaster General appointed a com
mittee consisting of Chief Inspector
r. S. Sharp, John c. Rooms, superiu-
tendent of the Division of Salaries
and Allowances; A. A. Fisher, chief
clerk of the office OF the Second As
sstant Postmaster General; Clarence
B. Murray, chief clerk Of the office of
the Third Assistant Postmaster Gen
eral, and George l.. Wood, superin-
tendent OF the Division of Rural
Mails. These men gave up their sum
mer vacations, worked after office
hours and OH Sundays to lay the
groundwork for the new system.
A classification of the articles that
may be admitted to the parcel post
was first made, The public does not
generally understand that books are
not admissible. They must still paw
third class postage rates. But aside
from this the parcel post IS open 10
practically every kind of merchandise
that can be transported, including
produce of the farm and garden a5
well as factory products. provided. OF
course that such articles come with
in the size and weight limit.
In preparing for the new system.
the postmaster general. with the idea
of ascertaining conditions in places
widely varying in size. climate and
industries, summoned to his office the
postmasters of five typical offices,
William II. Davis of Pittsburgh; Dan
lei T. Gerow of Jacksonville, Fla.
NJ. H. Jester of Wilmington, Del; E.
N. {. Quimbly of Suffolk. Va, aud
Henry Z, Bradley of Charlestown "
Va
Pittsburgh is the centre OF a ire
mendous manufacturing area. The
Pittsburgh chamber of commerce has
an active parcel post committee seek
ing to make the system success.
Wilmington represents large
farming and manufactures district
with extensive mail connections wi,h
nearby Philadelphia Jacksonville
the largest office in Florida and the
outlet of all the mail Of that state Is
peculiar in requiring an increased
force in winter ~ reason of tin tom
list traffic 1t is expected that the
travelling public will use the parcel
post extensively TO send home five
and ten pound packages of fruit.
Suffolk and Charlestown are the cen
tres of large trucking regions If the
parcel post is to help reduce the cost +.
of living its effect should be evident
in these districts.
1t Will be absolutely necessary that F
additional appropriations be made a.
the session of Congress beginning I
next December in order that the par .
eel post may be carried on efficiently T
until the funds of the next fiscal year .
become available on June 80. Al .
ready postmasters all over the coun- +,
try are making contracts for the Dir /.
ing of wagons and automobiles for he
local delivery service.
Postmaster General Hitchcock says I
the service vii start efficiently and
promptly How long it can continue
after Jan /, will depend ON congress
sional appropriations
Just at present the city of Rockland
appears To be infested with thieves OF .