The weekly Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1911-1922, 1912-01-18
M. L. COREY OF ARGOS TAKES
PROMINENT PART IN FIGHT
TO PREVENT CHANGE IN
POSTAL RATES.
WOULD HELP RETAILER
Parcels Post Goes In the Wrong
Direction-Works Against Local
Community Interests In
Favor of Cities.

Mr.. M. L. Corey, Editor National
Hardware Bulletin, Argos, Indiana
said that it was contended that a
Parcels Post should be instituted in
order to lower express rates and to
harmonic domestic with foreign
postal charges. He said that the
mercantile associations of the coun-
try have been actively cooperating
to secure a war of competition, but
through the same means as had been
employed for the regulation OF
freight and passenger tariffs.
1t has been contended, he said
that because the rate with certain
foreign countries under conventions
made by our post office department
was only 12c per pound, our domestic
rate should be lowered to that figure
Under the international rate frac-
tions of pound were charged lie
80 per cent Of the total number OF
packages be believed. weighed less
than 4 ounces. We can send a 1-oz.
package to Manila for one cent but
the same costs lie to England.
Tariff and other restrictions pre-
vent large shipments through the
mails from abroad. 1t is better, he
said, to give attention to quick and
safe delivery of letters and reading
matter, rather than encourage use
of the mails for large packages OF
merchandise.
While little packages do not delay
the handling of letters and periodi-
Gals, an accumulation such as we
find about Christmas, demoralizes
the country post Office.
One and half pounds are now
carried for "a cents. This is less
than the minimum freight or ex-
press charge. The Government is
handling, practically all this char
acter OF business at price that pays
profit. If you halve the present
rate, you must double the number of
small packages now carried to OBJ
tain the present revenue. Cost of
handling will be nearly doubled. A
profitable part of the business has
been converted into a losing business.
Slower methods of transporting such
packages by the government eliminat
ing the element of promptness, would
send the business to the express CON-
panies.
People who buy or sell merchan-
disc should pay the full cost of
transportation. In a country so large
as ours, the just method would be to
base the same upon distance. Under
some OF the bills proposed, a New
England manufacturer could send
merchandise wrapped in separate
packages long distances, more cheap
ly than he could freight the same at
carload rates. The prime motive
back OF the agitation is the building
up of the business of mail order
concerns. The South and West would
be most injured.
They are yet developing and credit
demands of dealers are greater. The
natural law of distance protection
would be elimenated.
If you make the local merchants
business a losing one, you deprive
the communities of their usefulness
as tax payers and Boosters of local
enterprises. We have investigated
effects abroad and 90 per cent of the
retail merchants Of the country OBJ
pose Parcels Post extension. The
Department has used the whip upon
postmasters and employees to secure
advocacy of the measure. The R. F.
ID. was designed without references
to cost to educate and uplift the
farmers of the country. The farm
ing population is favored.
People of the villages paw box
rent. Sales of the country merchant
depend upon his ability to get people
to his store and inspect the goods.
Sales of retail mail order houses de-
pend upon their ability to induce
customers to buy without seeing the
quality.
Parcels Post will not benefit the
wholesaler, hotel keeper, travelling
man, and iveryrhan. country publish
er, barber or blacksmith. In de-
probation of values following deduc-
ton of social advantages, it will cost
the farmer $4,000 for every $1.Oo
of saving he may make. Establish
ment Of foreign features will bring
old world conditions. Our policy
has been to build up the local COM
munities, rather than few large
cities and business concerns. Par
cells Post goes in the wrong direo-