The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1912-11-15
URGES ACTION TO
DEFEND NEW LAW
:. M. Cheatham Explains Bene-
fits and Dangers Threatened
by Parcels Post.

pound parcel by express from here to
New York now; after the parcels post
act goes into effect, at the first of the
year, the cost for the same service by
post will be twelve cents.
1t costs sixty-four cents to send 4
parcel to Waialna now by
,-.','l, 1t VIII cost eight cents to send
It the same way when the parcels post
Jaw goes into effect
This gives in concrete way the
DEMENT'S to be expected from that meas
ere, which was explained in full Mt q
-leeting of the Honolulu Ad Club yes.
terday by Elmer NJ. Cheatham, in an
able paper. AT the conclusion of his
which took up the matter of 0
probable attack upon the bill to be
made at the coming short session OF
congress, the club adopted the follow
ipg resolutions:
whereas, we, the members of the
Honolulu Ad Club, believe that the
Parcels Post Act as passed by con.
gress at its last session, particular.
ly that part of said act which
creates distance zones with varying
rates of postage, is beneficent and
"iSS piNNS VI lNSlSlstbiOH, ana
whereas, we are reliably inform
ed that an effort will be made mt
the coming session of congress to
repeal this act, or that part of it
relating to zones, and
Whereas, we deem it best for the
interests of all residents of the city
of Honolulu and the Territory of
Hawaii that this act as passed be
given fair and thorough trial,
Therefore, be it resolved, that our
Delegate to Congress, Hon. j. X.
HaIanianaole be, and is hereby ask
ed, to oppose any repeal or amend
ment of this act at this time, and
BE it further resolved, that the
Honolulu Merchants Association
and the Honolulu Chamber of Com
merce be, and hereby are urged to
take similar action by resolution or
otherwise as they may see fit, and
r BE it further resolved, that copies
of this resolution be forwarded to
the Hon. j. X. Kalanianaole, the
president of the Honolulu Mer-
chants Association, the president
of the Honolulu Chamber of Com
merce, the Hon. Jonathan Bourne,
! senator and author of this act, and
to the postmaster general of the
United States.
What the Act Is.
MIR: Cheatham s paper, in part, wa
J The great objection to all form
/ parcels post bills was that one and {
provided for flat rate system simil
to that now in existence, except
lower rates and permitting large. pac
ages. Under such system a mail {
der house in Chicago would be able
deliver a package to any postoffice
this island just as cheaply as could
Honolulu firm. You can readily s
why local dealers all over the Stat
have fought year after year the ena,
ment of such bills containing fiat ra
revisions.
"The government. has never be
keen, either, for such a system, t
the reason that the rates would nee,
sarily be too high for the short han
in order to equalize the high cost of t
extra long ones. The express compani
would cut under the government raj
on the short hauls, get most of t
business at fair profit and leave t
long hauls to the government to hant
at loss. OF course, the governme
could get around this by declaring
monopoly of such business and legisl
ing the express companies out of ext
ence, plan which would take vet
of litigation and result in the expen
ture of numberless millions of dolli
| in CONTAMINATION
elf the new parcels post law cam
be made effective and generally sat
factory when perfected by such chang
as may be found desirable from til
to time; and in conjunction with
failure, the interstate commerce co
mission finds itself unable to cont
the rates of existing express compani
then government ownership of the
companies viii be necessary and W
be quickly brought about.
All Oppose Flat Rate.
practically all the serious oppo
ton to the parcels post expressed
those, who attended the various s.
sions of the committee having the m:
ter in charge was based on the assun
ton that if "A parcels post law was ,
acted, it would be on a fat rate has
From which its supporters clearly $;
that some better scheme would have
be evolved or their efforts would
unsuccessful. Senator Bourne fiji
thought that the problem could be so
ed by taking each postoflice as IA co
ter and drawing circles around it wi
different radii according TO the 20
distance desired. He quickly gave
this idea when he found that trying
place the 10000 postoflices of t