The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1912-04-03

to waste In the country If the farm
er could sell these things for one
third of what they now cost the man
ly profitable-and yet the reduced cost
would be blessing to the poor man
in the city. But these things cannot
be until we get some system of trans
portation for small packages that will
bring TIE producers and the cont
sumers closer together. If we had
parcels post it would be utilized for
carrying things to eat from country
to towns and cities. That would be
a blessing to the producers of those
things and to the consumers as we'll
This matter of providing a system
OF transportation for small packages
which will bring the producers and
consumers of this country closer to-
gether to the great benefit of both,
is too broad and too deep and 100 i'm
portant to be longer postponed, while
the express companies, by exorbitant
rates, are reaping a golden harvest.
In 1898 the Adams Express company
declared stock dividend of 100 per
cent. and in 1907 they declared anoth-
er one Of 200 per cent In 1910 the
Wells-Fargo Express company paid
an extra cash dividend of 80 per cent
and stock dividend of 800 per cent.
Economic Movement.
I'VE should not permit the fear of
losing few dollars worth Of trade
to cause us to oppose great econo-
mic movement in the interest of man
kind l remember we'll 30 years ago
there were some merchants at Lau-
rens who feared that if the railroads
were to establish stations over the
county, it would injure their trade.
The railroads completed and they es-
tablished stations at Waterloo. Cross
Hill, Mountville, Gray Court, Owings,
Ora, Lanford and Enoree. Prosper
Gus little villages grew up at all these
places and stores We're opened in
these towns. Yet business activities
grew. and the merchants of Laurens
went on doing more business than
ever before. There was a time in the
history of South Carolina when mer-
chandise was hauled in wagons from
Charleston to the up-country. The
building of railroads changed that
condition Men who had before that
time made their livlihood by hauling
goods We're not injured: there were
other business activities to command
their attention, and they, in common
with all OF the people were benefited
by the coming of the railroads,
There are as many men making a liv-
ing now draying goods as there were
before, but they are draying them
from the depot to the stores and
from the stores to the consumers res
licences and not taking long trips to
Charleston. Men who raised stock
thought that the coming of the rail
roads would injure their business be-
cause not so many horses would be
needed, but their fears were without
foundation. The coming of the rail
roads multiplied business activities in
all lines, and the people needed more
horses than they ever had before
though there We're Slight changes in
conditions as to the manner in which
the horses were used
Only One Step.
Unfortunately, my friend, the bill
that is pending in congress i5 nos a
parcels post bill. 1t is only a step in
that direction. 1t reduces the rate
on parcels from 16 cents a pouno TO
- cents a pound or from $22O ton
to s240 ton. 1t does not amount
to anything. No commodity will fear
that kind of charge for transporta-
tion. This bill simply provides that
merchants living in town where q
rural route starts may mail a pack
age to any person who lives on the
route, and any person living on the
route may mail a package back To-
the postotiice from which the r,,roi|
route emanates. That's all. The
farmer cannot send a package be-
: Oii" 'He P'd'e "HeIe lhe route stops,
nor can any person from another
place send him package. The nail
order houses are not in it, They are
not concerned about it, and cannot
use it. The bill Will simple permit
merchants in small towns to send
packages out on rural routes, and will
permit patrons of the rural routes 70
send packages to their postonce
towns. a more extensive system is
inevitable within the next fnu, ,.onr.