Willmar tribune., 1912-07-31
PROVISIONS OF PARCELS POST BILL
AS RECOMMENDED BY COMMITTEE
As Reported By
SENATOR JONATHAN BOURNE. Chairman

OVOKWes Cnotrman
cording to their distance from the
equator, but on an average in the
United States having width east
and west Of 81 miles and a. length
north and south of SO miles.
"The only difficulty to be overcome
by the adoption Of the degree as a
unit arose from the fact that post Of
fees on the extreme diagonals of a
degree would be approximately 80
miles apart and, if degree lines be
observed in all cases, citizen mail
ing package at post office near
the boundry of a quadrangle would
have to pay an increased rate for a
distance Of only 2 miles because the
addressee's post Office was just over
the line of degree. This was recog-
nlzed as unscientifc and inequitable
and, therefore, to be avoided if DOS
sible. This inequality is avoided in
the plan which have submitted.
"Mr. J. H. Robinson, of the Topo-
graphic Division in the Bureau Of the
Fourth Assistant Postmaster Gener-
al, suggested dividing the degree
quadrangles into quadrangles of 80
minutes length north and south and
east and west, giving the same rate
to every post Office in each quarter
degree quadrangle, with the privilege
OF sending at the same rate to any
post office in every CONTIGUOUS quar-
ter-degree quadrangle. This plan ap-
peals to me very strongly and I ear
nestly recommended it's adoption as
the best plan upon which to deter
mine scientific and practical distance
rates Of transportation charges in
the handling Of packages in parcel
post. In order that the Government
might enjoy the benefits of this plan
without possible interference, I re-
quested Mr.. Robinson to patent and
copyright his chart and to assign
what interest he had to the Govern
ment. The copyright and patent
have been secured at Government ex-
pense.
1--WE thus have the United States
divided into about $500 different
and never changeable units, each 80
minutes in length, north and south
and east and west. On the chart
which 1 have had prepared each of
these quadrangles is given an index
number. All post Offices located in
any one of these quadrang gles have
the same index number and will have
exactly the same zone arrangement,
but each quadrangle or quarter of a
degree will have different zone limits,
all based, however, on practically the
same distances. As a guide in the
use Of the index chart I suggested
the printing Of directory giving the
States in their alphabetical order,
with marginal thumb index, and un-
der each State the names Of all post
Offices located therein, with their in
dex numbers-that is to say, after
the name Of each post Office the in
dex numbers Of the quadrangle in
which the post Office is located. Thus
is provided very simple method OF
ascertainment Of rates for transport
ing package from any post Office
to any other Office. Twenty seconds
should be the extreme amount of time
consumed in the ascertainment OF
any rate.
''The following table shows the
proposed rate for the first pounc
and each additional pound under the
plan by my parcel-post bill:
i Charge fo1
! Distance IL lbs.
Rural route and city delivery. SOLE
First zone, SO miles. ........ .2f
Second zone, 200 miles. ....... 81
Third zone, 500 miles ........ AZ
Fourth zone, 1000 miles. 80. 81
Fifth zone, 1900 miles. ....... LII
Sixth zone, $500 miles (average
dlstance) -. ............. 1.3i
"By adopting a quadrangle Of 81
minutes in each dimension as a uni
and giving to the patrons Of ever!
7 post Office in that unit the right t,
send at the minimum rate to any 9th
er post Office in that unit or in an,
contiguous unit, We established al
area Of practically 80 miles squar
with a mean distance transportation
5 Of about SO miles, and therefore
4 suggested the adoption Of this as ou
5 first zone.
E II believe the fat-rate system un
E scientific, inequitable, and imprac
: ticable as applied to packages suc]
i as we expect to transport under par
eel post. It is unscientifc becaus
r it disregards distance. In the trans
portation of letters, where the indiv
idual pieces are small, distance is 0
= little consequence, but this is not tru
: Of packages Of merchandise. It
: inequitable because it charges tn
e shipper for short distances an exces