The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-08-13
MILLIONS BENEFIT
BY PARCELS POST
Effect of Provisions of the
Bourne Bill
HELPS RURAL ROUTE
Farmer Can Mail Packages Up to IL
Pounds at Rate Which
Makes Service Very
Advantageous
a ~
BY c. Il. STEWART.

Washington, August 12.-(Special.)-Th
postoffice appropriation bill, now pend
ing in the Senate, provides what is known
as the Bourne, plan for parcels post
service. 1t is highly probable that this
bill will be enacted into law, and.
therefore. the parcels post provisions will
be of interest, inasmuch as a parcels post
has been agitated in this country for the
past 40 years.
The present rate en- fourth class mail
matter (merchandse) is / cent per ounce,
the limit being foih pounds The Bourne
plan proposes to divide the country into
zones making a separate rate, for each
zone, beginning with the rural route and
city delivery, and next the 80 mile zone.
then $50 mile zone, 800 mile zone, 500 mile
zone, 1000 mile zone, 400 mile zone and
1900 mile zone which carries the maxi
mum charge for any distance
1t also increases the maximum weight
package handled TO ii pounds. It pro-
vides fixed charge for the first pound.
and an additional charge for each addi-
tional pound at a rate graduated accord
ing to the zones For instance, in the
rural route or city delivery the rate is
. cents for the first pound, and l cent
for each additional pound, making for
the maximum II pounds total charge
of Is cents Take for example a farmer
living on rural route near Birmingham:
lie may send to his produce merchant
In the city II pounds of butter, or honey.
fo.' the sun of 10 cents Under the pres
ent rates of postage he could send only
four pounds and that four pounds would
cost him Ga cents, prohibitive rate for
practical purposes
On the subject of ACCESSIBILITY and fea-
sibility of the parcels post 1t is worth
while to consider the fact that nearly
all the civilized countries in the world
have parcel post systems. and have had
them in operation for a number of years;
no country has abandoned the parcel post
when once established, nor is there any
demand among the people or the retail
merchants for such abandonment.
The extension of the present parcel post
system and postal service in handling
fourth class mail matter, will be of OBJ
slous advantage to millions of people In
the rural districts who are not conven-
lent to express offices. The total routes
covered by the express companies aggre-
gate approximately 25S,C0o miles. The
mail routes cover 49, 900 miles, mot includ-
ing over 100000 miles of rural routes.
The parcel post will give the conven-
fence of express service to the people
living on 1,1T.000 miles of post routes,
not now enjoying that service.
While the rates proposed in the amend
ed bill are not as low as the rates in.
the original bill, they are in most cases
lower than the existing express rates,
and especially so for the small sized
packages. 1t is believed that after the
system .ujs adopted and thoroughly or
ganized and made effective the rates pro-
posed may be materially reduced and still
bring a profit to the government over
all operating cost.
But even considering that the rates
only partially reduce the prevailing ex-
press charges, there are other obvious
advantages to the people. The postal
service reaches all the people, the ex-
press service only a limited number.
If he lives outside the so mile zone and
within the $50 miles zone, his rate would
be cents for the first pound and cents
for each additional pound, and thus the
maximum package of IL pounds would
cost him 35 cents to deliver to his GUS
toner in the city.
Below are the rates fixed by the original
Bourne bill, according to zones, and alsgs
the amended bill, as it will likely be
passed:
ORIGINAL BOURNE BILL.