Evening journal., 1912-11-11
WORKING OUT PLANS OF
THE PARCEL POST LAW
Postmaster Jester Not Yet Prepared With Details,
But viii be Ready on Time---Expecfs No Great
Rush at The Starr

made so two copies viii be in each
Office
I'm some cities the amount of money
needed to put the system on q busi-
ness footing will be greater chan in
others
Business Nal Start Light
While Postmaster Jester Is repaired
for any emergency he said that he did
not believe that the parcels post
would spring into such immediate
popularity as TO swamp the postal of
dcials
Like an new departures, he
said, 10 viii take some time for the
people TO become accustomed 10 the
parcels post innovation and while
they are learning the value of the
system we viii be given am oppOrtun-
ity 90 eet our hearings and smooth
out the impcricctions of the system
M some cities the big and small de-
parment stores and the mail order
houses are preparing to work the par
cells post system TO a fare-you-wcil.
according 90 reports but thus far there
rs no evidence 90 indicate that The
merchants here are planning 10 aban-
don their Individual delivery systems
for the as yet untried service TO be
provided by the Government
on small packages. perhaps the
merchants might save something by
using the mails. but as the Govern
meut prescribes that packages shall
not weigh moro than II pounds and
must not be larger than a certain size
10 would be necessary for the mer-
chants TO maintain delivery wagons
for larger packages and Il is argued
that very little If anything would be
gained by using the parcels post sys-
tenn.
Rates Of Postage.
While method of computing
charges for carrying parcels is some
what intricate and it is understood.
has not yet been fully worked out
! by the committee which has this
branch of the service In charge
rates in the zone in which Wilimng-
ton is located will be 8 cents for the
FIRST pound and l cent pound for
each additional pound up to II
pounds, which is the limit In weight.
/ This will make an 11-pound pack
age cost Is cents for transportation
to any part OF the city or TO any
point in the zone, or block. in which
the Wilmington post0flice is located.
For long distances the charge viii
be proportionately greater, the cone
putation being made under q system
similar In many respects 10 that used
/ by the big express companies now
operating in this country.
In addition the parcels to be car
ried are divided into several classes
which will enable the farmer to ship
small lots Of his produce direct to
customers I'm the city without the
necessity OF selling through mid
dleman. This will accomplish one of
two things either the farmer will
pocket the profit that would have ac.
crued 40 the middlcman or he VIII
give the customers the benefit O.
) this profit Ask the farmer
Postmaster General Hitchcock is
! strong for the parcels post lie OK
poets i. TO be self supporting Re
: Gently he gave the following illustra
tion to show how the system vii
! work out.
Rural telephones practically have
! spread over all the entire country,
he said, "and they will be used II
conjunction with the parcel post tC
2 the advantage OF both farmer ant
= country merchant. The housewife
for example, finds that she Is out o
j sugar She steps to her phone anC
orders it sent by parcel post If The
, farmer breaks a harrow OF part o
some farm equipment, ii will not b.
, necessary for him 70 hitch up anC
drive 20 town: he viii merely step e
= his phone and order the new par
, sent by 'P. P' The time saved vii
more than compensate him for hi
outlay of stamps. l expect TO see th'
J country merchants advertising fret
delivery in their local papers, jus
, as his city brothers do. They vii
) use the parcel post as their deliver
z wagons