The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-12-26
niles, which is the limit Of the second

Wales, winch Is Inc limit OF the second
Advantage Over Express Rates.
This same eleven-pound parcel
could be sent by parcels post from
Washington to San Francisco for
sl.32. or approximately six times less
IMAM the express rates. When the
puoiic begins to realize the great adj
vantages offered through It.
office department in the rapid trans
mission OF packages. the prompt deliv.
cry that has o praise for the Amer
ican p%ostottice deliveries. and the saw
ing erected by the service, the growth
OF the parcels post will take on such
proportions as to make the present
volume OF mai matter handled from:
all sources pale into insigniflcance by
comparison.
Carefully prepared maps issued by
the geological survey. on which are
accurately fixed the zones by which
the rates for distances are to be CON-
puted, have been sent to every post
office in the country. The distribu-
ton Of these ra%te-basing maps was a
also made 1t necessary to supply
thousands Of the smaller offices with
standard scales with a weighir- ca.
pacity OF eleven pounds, such offices
now using the standard Misunderstanding
scales with a capacity Of only four
pounds. The charges on parcels will
be paid by stamps specially designed
for this use. These stamps have been
sent to all the postoff1ces along with
the necessary blank forms, and the
postoftices Of the entire country are
now ready to begin business with the
parcels post on Jan. /. 1913.
Will Divert Trade.
Statistics show that the combined
mileage of all the express companies
over rail and water routes cover ap-
proximately 25S,000 miles, while the
distance in mileage Of various routes
exceed 100000 miles. One Of the
greatest objections to the establish
ment of the parcels post, aside from
that OF the express corporations. was
found in the country store keepers.
who believed that its operation by the
government would induce their GUS
toners. the farmers, to divert their
trade to the larger centers. where
prices are lower than at the country
cross-roads store. That this will be
true, the friends of the measure do
not attempt to deny. With cheap
transportation rates and the goods de-
livered at the door of the farm house.
and the big city stores offering low
prices. the natural result will be that
the country merchant will lose trade,
and the city merchants he the bene-
ficiaries thereby.
BASED on Experience Abroad.
Friends Of the parcels post believe
that 1t will not only be ~self-support-
Ing, but in a way a revenue producer
for the government. To put the sys-
tenn In operation congress has appro-
priated less than $1,000, 900. and Post
master General Hitchcock will get by
with that amount. The plans under
which the American parcels post are
to be operated. while original in a
large measure. have been based upon
the best features of similar services
In foreign countries where the system
has prevailed for man. years. The
plans have also been adopted to NEE!
the needs of all sections of the country
as expressed by its plain citizens. mer-
chants. corporations. representatives
from the city mail carriers. the coun-
try rural free delivery e the star
route riders. h men who handle the
mails on the great run lines. and
the ~postmasters all over the country.
The official schedule Of rates under
the zone basis Of determining the tar
III IN parcels. as announced by the
postofice department. is herewith pre-
scented, any fraction of a pound being
Iclassed as a pound and SO charged.