Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-03-13
PARCELS POST.
CONTINUED from Page one.)

provisions and the other class will use
their advocacy to force to the front a
provision which the House on final
vote would not sanction. That is why
Chairman Moon wishes to have
cloture rule adopted so that his para
graphs will either be voted up or
down and with no opportunity for
amendment. He and members of the
postoffice committee reason that the
parcels post cause in the House will
be stronger under those conditions
The chance for dividing the friends of
the parcels post is thus largely elm
mated. There is also division of opin-
ion about the rural parcels post prop
osition but by centering the fight over
a eleture rule the prospects of scat
tering the various factions of friends
will be much smaller. These tactics
cannot be followed in the Senate, to
be sure, but even If the Senate votes
both propositions-the general parcels
post provision and the rural route pro
vision-there will be some likelihood
that the House can force the Senate
To yield in conference.
Some think that in the last struggla
between the Senate and the House, on
~ one of the propositions will survive
and that that will be the rural par
cells rost provision. That is quite pos
siDle. Opposition among the small
country merchants TO the parcels post.
lest it work to their disadvantage AMI
to the advantage of the mail order
houses in the big cities and to the
large cities generally, as against the
small country merchant, is still very
strong. Every time the subject of par
GELS post is taken up in Congress. pc
.titions and protests begin to pour m
By the thousands and tens of ,hou
sands. IT is claimed that the express
companies encourage these opposition
crusades, but be that as it may MANY
of the country merchants nevertheless
believe there Is ruin ahead for mem
if the general parcels post prevails.
There is no such opposition to the
rural parcels post. which would sim
ply enable the housewife out on tie
farm to telephone to town for Il pound
of tea or a few pounds of sugar and
have it sent along BY mail at the cost
of a few additional cents This would
increase the postal revenues very
greatly. only about Is per cent. of the
rural routes would require any addl-
tional equipment for this service, the
additional burden upon the carriers
would be very slight and it is esti-
mated that the government would get
from $1,000, 900 to $t0.000,o00 Of addition
al revenue. This would be applied in
some part to increasing the salaries
of the rural carriers who claim that
they are not sufficiently paid mt pres
emit
The House Democrats want more in
formation about the effect Of the per
ations cf general parcels post, be-
fore they go farther than a flat pound
rate of II cents up to II pounds. That
is the reason they provide commits
sion to study the whole question fur
Their. Chairman Moon says the need
now is for specific facts and mot mere
ly opinions on which TO pass intelii-
gent and satisfactory legislation. lie
thinks it necessary TO know how the
parcels post will affect postal revenues
and what the additional burdens will
be as to additional employees and in
creased carriage and railroad pay nd
whether this innovation would inter
fere with the handling of first, second
and third class mail matter.