Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1912-11-15
soREcAsrs CAR JAM
FROM PARCELS Posf

The Federal Government will be
forced 10 operate special trains 20
take care q the new parcels post
business which viii be inaugurated On
New Years Day, according to Roy
Brantley Simpson, advertising mana
ger for the International Shoe Com
Ipany.
All the ST., Louis shoe manufaetur
ers. as well "a. the large retail stores
already are preparing to take adyan-
tage Of the parcels post. Under the
law any article can be sent by par
GELS post which is neither beakable
nor perishable. nor liquid. and has a
maximum surface measurement Of p
inches and a maximum weight Of IL
pounds.
This will mean. Simpson says, that
the shoe jobbing houses in St. Louis.
instead Of sending a boz of a dozen
pairs OF shoes by express will send
the shoes separately in a dozen pack.
ages by parcels post. Other articles
Of every day wear and household use
likewise will be sent BY parcels post
BY the merchants to their customers
in the country at a cheaper rate thai
by express or freight.
The immediate result Of the oper.
alton OF the parcels post" says Mr..
Simpson. will be to place the job.
bers in closer touch with the larger
country retail merchant on the one
hand and to minimize the business
Of the little crossroads country. store
on the other by building up the coun.
ty seat merchants business.
With the present extension of the
rural delivery into all parts of the
country districts, the farmer will find
THAT he can do business with the mel
chant at the county seat, where he
can have the advantage of a larger
assortment Of goods than at the eros
roads and can have his goods deliver
ed to his door by rural delivery.
Just think what this will mean!
1t will mean that the fellow who II
now delivering mail on the rura
routes will be compelled to put furni
ture vans into service to take care
OF the parcels post business.
Further than that, it will mear
that the Post Office Department will
be forced to add continually to it.
railroad mail cars. Where one ant
two mail cras are now operated OIL
passenger trains, four or more carr
Twill be necessary and ultimately, tn,
government will be forced to operate
special parcels post trains.
In other words, the Government
now is about to enter into the freigh
business. Another serious car short
age will result.
The mail order houses will take az
vantage Of the parcels post in thi,
manner: They will set up agencie,
in all the county seats in the. var
icus states. to which they will shil
their goods by freight, and there hay,
them unpacked and reshipped to des
unation by parcels post via. rural de
livery. This business in itself will b
enormous:
No one can tell Just what will b,
the final outcome of this parcels-pcs
business. OF course, the government
will have to provide additional deliy
cry facilities to meet the business a
1t grows. Those who have advocate,
the parcels post in the United State
because England has it, forget tina
this country If fifty times greater il
area than England, and delivery VII
be correspondingly more difficult"
Simpson thinks the successful wor
ing out Of the parcels post will b
lone of the most important things wi
which the coming Democratic admir-
istratiOn will have to deal.-St. LOU
Republic.