The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-09-25
THE PARCELS POST.
What Can be Sent and at What Price
Eight Postal Zones.

The postoffice appropriation bill
passed by the last session of congress
provides: THAT hereafter fourth
class mail matter shall embrace all
other matter, including farm and fac
tory products, not now embraced by
law in either the first, sec ID or third
class not exceeding eleven pounds in
weight, nor greater size than 70 inch
es in length and girth combined, nor
in form or kind likely to injure the
person of any postal employe or dam
age the mail equipment or other mail
matter and not of a character per-
ishable within a period reasonably re-
quired for transportation and de-
livery"
That, in nutshell, is the new pos
tai express or parcels post law.
person can post anything from
hen egg to half grown pig if there
is no danger of it injuring the postal
employees who handle it and it does
not weigh more than eleven pounds
and is not greater in size than ~ inch
es in length and girth combined.
The farmer can send eggs, chick
ems, ducks, kittens, hound dog, pup
pies. butter, honey, bees, o'possums
young foxes or anything else just so
1t Is not too heavy or too large and is
not dangerous.
The fisherman can post his fish,
frogs. tadpoles. oysters, crabs, terra
pins, cooters. fishing worms, or what
not IL he observes the regulations as
to weight and size and character Of
the animal.
The manufacturer can send suits
Of clothes. pajamas. hats, cloth, and
<very other sort Of product provided
1t Is not too long. too large or dam
gerous.
To carry out the provisions Of the
parcels post law, eight postal zones
will be established. The first is to ex-
tend fifty miles from the center Of a
given unit Of area; second, $50 miles;
third. 800; fourth, 600: fifth, 1000;
sixth. 1.400; seventh, 1900; eighth,
all units Of area outside Of the seventh
zone.
The rates will be on fourth class
matter weighing no more than four
ounces. one cent for each ounce or
fraction Of an ounce. On al matter
mailed at the postoffice. to be deliv-
cred by rural or city carrier, or to be
called for, flve cents for the first
pound or fraction Of a pound and one
cent for each additional pound. In
the first zone, five cents for the first
pound and three cents for each addi-
tioRal pound; second. six and four;
third, seven and five cents; fourth,
eight and six: fifth, nine and seven;
sixth. ten and nine; seventh. eleven
and ten; eighth. twelve and twelve.
Postmaster General Hitchcock and
his expert assistants are busy now for
mulating plans to carry out the par
cells post law. They must find a way
TO extend the express business, as it Is
now conducted, over more than q mill
lion miles Of rural delivery and star
routes. Everything must be ready by
the first OF the new year. Ways and
means OF handling the deluge Of
small parcels are to be provided.
Many congressman were curious to
know, during the debate on the par
cells post bill. why eleven pounds were
liked as the maximum instead of ten
or twelve or some other even number.
In foreign countries where the par
cells post is in vogue five Kilograms,
which is equivalent to about eleven
pounds, are the maximum. That
fact had something to do with making
the limit eleven.
There are great possibilities in the
parcels post law. The postmaster
general Is given latitude in which to
employ his active brain. If he is as
successful with the parcels post as he
mas been with the postal savings
bank 1t will not he long before the
farmers eggs will be going direct to
the consumer. a family in ST. Louis.