The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-09-05
OF MILES WILL BE
COVERED BY PARCELS POST.
Postmaster General Hitchcock Work.
ing Out System to Start
January LIST.

V~Au0At ADVs u 4. ..
b Washington, D. c., Aug. Gam
I nouncement was made.by POstmast-
er General Hitchcock tonight that
the Post Office Department would be
in readiness January /, 1913, to put
into general operation the recently
authorized parcels-post system.
q The postal-express business,
which must be organized within the
2 next four months, will extend over
more than million miles OF rural
delivery and star routes, and will
cover, in it's various ramificatlons,
all systems Of transportation Of par
cells now utilized by private express
companies.
In order to take up personally
and Immediately the work Of organ
izing the new service, Mr.. Hitch
cock has cancelled engagements he
made for his vacation and will re-
main in Washington to direct the
organization.
The details of the parcels-post
system will be worked out by a
series OF committees, composed of
officers and experts of the depart
ment. The General Executive Com
mittee, appointed today, consists OF
Chief Inspector Robert S. Sharp.
Superintendent John G.. Coons of the
division of salaries and allowances,
Chief Clerk A. A. Fisher of the Sec
ond Assistant Postmaster General S
Bureau and superintendent George
L. Wood of the division of rural
mails.
First Of ALL" said Mr.. Hitchcock
tonight, must be prepared a classi-
fcation Of the articles that can be
accepted for transportation by par
mails virtually all kinds of merchan
disc that can be transported safely,
including products Of the farm and
garden, as wei as factory products,
provided such articles do not weigh
more than eleven pounds nor exceed
seventy-two inches in combined
length and girth.
THE mode of packing will be pre-
scribed carefully. The present
equipment of mail service is not
adapted to the carriage of such
merchandise, and therefore new
equipment must be provided.
1t is likely we shall employ extern
sively hampers similar 10 those used
in foreign countries in handling par
cels-post mail. The style, size and
material of such hampers must be
determined and advertisements is
sued for their purchase.
"The law provides that postage on
all parcels shall be prepaid by aftix-
ing distinctive stamps. This will
necessitate the designing and print
ing of at least dozen denomina-
lions of special stamps ranging in
value from l cent to 81.
"Provision for the collection on
delivery of the price of a parcel
must be made. Regulations govern
ing this phrase of the system already
are being prepared.
The law provides naturalization
since many of the articles to be car
ried will be fragile or perishable,
the question of indemnity is one for
careful regulation.
"The system of distance zones re-
quires the employment by post
masters of a distinctive postal map
on which the zones are represented.
Such map has already been pre-
pared by the department, and ar
rangements are being made for the
printing Of about 10000 in order
chat each post Office and postal sta
ton in the United States may be sup
piled with two copies.
"A directory of all Offices is being
compiled for use in applying the pre-
scribed rates Of postage to the dis
tances shown on the zone maps.
"The question of adequate trans
porlation and terminal facilities for
the parcels-post mail on rail and
steamship lines and in the city
wagon services will have to be work.
ed out with such as to insure the
prompt movement OF such mail and
to prevent a possible congestion Of
the ordinary mail"
1t is realized by Mr.. Hitchcock
that it is important at the outset to
provide for sufficient additional
equipment and transportation facil-
tiles to avoid any possible clogging
of the usual mail channels. This in
wolves one OF the most serious
problems now confronting the posta!
officials as result of the taking
over of SO large volume OF addi-
tional mail.
The New Parcels-Post.
In response to many inquiries for
information, Senator Jonathan
Bourne, Jr., chairman of the senate
committee on post offices and post
roads, has prepared the following
summary OF the provisions of the
new parcels post law which will be-
come effective January LIST, 1913:
Any article is mailable if no.
over eleven pounds in weight nor
more than seventy-two inches in
length and girth combined, nor like
ly to injure the mails or postal
equipment or employees.
Flat rates of l cent per ounce up
to four ounces, regardless of dis
tances. 81, {. tSt&
Above four ounces, rates are by
the pound or fraction thereof and
varying with distance as follows: