The pioneer express., 1912-12-27

sone' ihe rates therefore are fixed
from the unit in which the postofi1ce
Is located. but they are the same
from that Office to any point in any
one zone.
1t will be seen by reference to the
table of rates Of postage that It will
cost more per pound to send pack
age q long distance than 1T does to
send 1t short distance. The rate in
creases for a package weighing one
pound at the rate of one cent for
each zone. No package Weighing
more than II pounds can be sent un-
der the new parcel post law. 1t
should be said right here that on the
long hauls the parcel post may not
be able to compete with the express
companies, but that on shorter hauls
1t can so compete. It was the ex-
pressed desire Of the legislators and
OF the postoffice officials that the par.
eel post system should be made Of
particular use to persons having farm
and factory products to transmit to
customers. 1t is probable that pro-
ducers must study the rates of post
age and the convenience of trans
initial and compare them with the
cost and convenience under present
methods before individually man can
determine whether he is TO profit or
not by the change. Then there is an
other thing to be considered and
which only can be known definitely
when fuller regulations have been
made to specify exactly what kind Of
things can be sent by parcel post It
can be said in a general way that any
thing can be sent which is properly
wrapped and which will not injure
other mail matter with which it may
come in contact.
Copy Foreign Countries.
It Is probable that the government
will adopt a means of transportation
for certain kinds of its merchandise
much like those which have been
adopted in parcel post countries
abroad. What the English call ham
pers. basket-like arrangements. prob
ably will be adopted. and as these can
be kept separate from the ordinary
mail matter 1t is believed that the
regulations as finally adopted will al
low the sending of eggs. butter, dress.
ed poultry, live poultry, honey, fruit,
and other products of the country.
The 11-pound limit for single pack.
age may work at first against, any
very extended use of the parcel post
for some of the articles which have
been named. OF course, more weight
can be sent II It is sent in different
parcels. but the cost in that case
would be heavier because the In.
crease per pound on single package
is not great up to II pounds. and
probably it would increase at no great.
er rate If the government were to
raise the limit Of weight which is now
fixed. To make It simpler, it will
cost more to send two packages Of IL
pounds than 1t would to send one
package of % pounds II the govern.
ment eventually should allow heavi.
er single package to be carried and
should charge in proportion Just what
1t does now for one package Of II
pounds weight.
Every postmaster In the United
States will have parcel post map
like the one which is here reproduced
except that the zone lines will be
shown with the unit Of his postoflce
as a center. All that a postmaster
will have to do when a parcel is pre-
sented for transportation is to find
out in what zone the destination Of
the package lies. His table will show
him instantly the rate per pound from