Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-12-26
UNCLE SAM BECOMES YOUR
EXPRESSMAN ON JANUARY l
Will Start Parcels Post Business of Unknown
Proportions with 81, 600 Receiving and
Delivery Stations.

the pnrcr1 is maiiable and also coinpute
the rate.
no avoid congestion m the postofiicc
tb. parcel must be ready to be for
vardcd when it is accepted. as the de-
pnrtmcnt does not wish to suffer the in
convenience or delay arising from in
sufficient postage or improper direction.
So all business must he transacted at "A
postofIiCc window.
The magnitude of this latest govern
mental enterprise is almost inCom-
~prehcnsiblc. In one day the United states
government is to start an express bust
ness with more than $1,000 receiving and
delivery stations. The parcel post is not
to be "a business developed to a high state
of efficiency by long experience or reach
Ing its maNimum volume ON January !.
after gradual extensions. ON the con-
trary. it is a new business which must
be ON it's first day "a perfectly adjusted
commercial machine.
No large undertaking. i'm the world to-
day was ever launched Immediately to
meet such demands. Aith every other
great commercial organization, efficiency
and magnitude have been attained only
10y years of experience and 10y consistent
growth. The great combinations which
maintain ranches and plants in every
part of the world have been decades
reaching a point which permits them even
to cover the area of the United states.
The express companies, which are ma
Il goUs to the postoiiice department In the
new venture, represent an organization
based upon scores of years of experience
and tNn.rimapt md an tnfHrnriSa that
has grown to it's present proportions i'm
response to a slowly increasing demand.
no express company ever attempted to
provide in one day facilities such as the
postoihcc department must supply i'm
cities Ike Boston, New York. Philadel-
phia and san Francisco. not to mention
a service to isolated farming commuui-
ties. mining camps, settlements in Alaska
and towns far removed from the railroa,,
POSTOFFICE ALL At SEA.
But on January l the postofhce depart
inent must bc capable of handling thou
sands of woighty packages in Boston and
with equal facility and despatch forward
similar matter along the country roads
To the door of the farmer and tn,
rancher.
on january ! the woman living in tn,
South End or Roxbury may in the after
noon receive by mail the article which
early in the day she purchased at a down
town store. ON that day the rural mai
carrier will deliver at the farmers door
the goods which he perhaps ordered that
morning by telephone or letter from til,
nearest large distributing point.
And this new express company has NJ
idea of the amount of business it will bt
required to do on the first day.
suppose YOU went to your local cN.
prcs.man and told him that on January
he must he prepared to handle every
package not over II pounds in weight OF
not more than six feet in length and
girth combined. that the people Of his
mmunit wished to send or We're likely
to receive.
His first inquiry naturally would be
"IIow many bundles must l arrange It
take care Of on January l?'
In this instance the answer must
be: "Taere is no way Of telling. You
Loo. You've got to be really to ham
die either one or 1000"
j. would be useless to argue tha'
there are the questions of the mum
her Of shipping clerks, the s%orters
the delivery wagons ana the drivers
to be required that must he answered.
There is no data available, the new
cXpressman must he prepared to axe
all that comes and forward the vol
umc Of traffic. be it great or small.
This is the position of the postnfficc
department on January |: 1t must
provide the equipment of an express
company from Passport, Me, to Homo
lulu. from the northernmost settle
mcnt of Alaska to the Panama canal
zone, and be ready for such business
in Porto Rico, in the Philippine ISL
ands and at the postal agency in
Shanghai, china. 1t is to he a bin
business Institution that has no in
formation as to the extent of the ac-
CONNIE iation expected of 1t.
MEANS AN INDEFINITE TASK.
No organization ever before at
tempted suci an indefinite task as
that which the postoffice department
Is to assume in establishing the par
eel post. Not only is 1t one of the
most important innovations eve in
troduCed by the department. but 1t Is
the first time the postoffice depart
ment ever entered upon so general an
un lortaking.
Heretofore all extensions OF the
postal service have been tentative
The most recent addition to the func-
lions of the department, the postal
savings bank, was not established
simultaneously in every postoffice in
] ~. Io.l T.-. . A..