The coast beacon., 1912-12-28
BY EnMARp 3. CLARK.

With the coming of the New Year
The United States government will en-
1sr into new field of enterprise
the transmittal OF merchandise by
what Ii known as the parcel post.
Tur years there has been demand
nor such system Of inexpensive
aransmittal Of packages. The camps
Of favor and disfavor OF the parcel
post scheme have been about equally
&ivided. Finally at the last session
Of congress a bill was passed which
VIII put the plan into operation, but
only 1t must be said in little more
Than an experimental way
It Is the intention Of Uncle Sam to
move rather slowly in the parcel post
matter. He wants to find how popu-
a3ssf tt WIZ BE- hsw much II VII cost
ahe government, and whether there is
20 be a profit or loss at the end Of
Isach year. II 1t is found that the
plan is successful from the point Of
view Of the people. which means the
government also, the parcel post viii
be extended until finally 1t reaches
Rhe proportions which its proponents
say they believe 1t is destined to as
sumo
Zone System Explained.
It is no exaggeration to say that
thousands upon thousands OF inquir-
les have been made Of the postmaster
general as to just what the parcel
post win mean to the people. 1t was
the law Of congress establishing the
system which made provision for .
division Of the country into zones
and into 35 900 units which are to be
used as centers in describing the cir
cles which mark the boundaries of
the zones. There has been no clear
understanding. apparently. Of this
zone system, but really It is very
simple matter.
The accompanying map shows the
country divided into zones from the
INIT in which Washington is sit
mated, as the center. Accompanying
the map Is table showing the rate
Of postage per pound for parcels from
Washington to places within all the
zones
Each unit contains an area thirty
miles square. Now each unit is a
center from which the zones are
drawn and so every unit in the coun-
try no matter where 1t Is situated will
have zones drawn from It just exactly
as Washington has them drawn from
It. For instance. take Keokuk. Ia.,
which IS IN a unit In the fifth zone.
From that viii be drawn circles ex-
ncfly as they are drawn from Wash
ington and they will be numbered from
Keokuk as number one Just as they
are numbered from Washington as
number one OF course. however,
Zone Six viii have different geo
graphical position as related to Keo-
kuk than IT has as related to Wash
ington. but ais the radius Of the circles
drawn from Keokuk is the same
length as the radius Of the circles
drawn from Washington, Keokuk's
Zone six win be just as far from its
center as Washington's Zone Six Is.
How Rates Are Fixed.
II can be seen from this readily
& enough that the postal rates from
Washington to its particular zone viii
be the same as The postal rates from
Keokuk to its particular zones Each
unfit being about thirty miles square
viii or course contain IN most cases a
number Of postofaces. but each Office
In the same unit Is considered as be.
ing the center Of the circles from
which the zones are drawn The
rates Of postage are lxed from the
unit ID which the sending Dostcfiice il
situated. but fhe price to every place
h any kone IS insf the same TO Il
idsffate It win cost exactly the same
amount 10 send parcel from Wash.
|nffoh to Erie. Pa. that II costs to
send At to Atlanta Ca, because Erie
and Atlanta with reference to Wash
Inefon are situated IN the fourth
.ono The rates therefore are 1xed
from The unit + which the poetoi',cs
u located. but they are tHe same
nom TINT oilce % any point N auj
/, .'|| BE- seen BY rfefehee % th'
..I|. ~ 1'<& q pps'sse That e VI