The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-12-17
Big TASK FOR THE
POSTAL OFFICIALS
POSTMASTER PLUMLEY TELLS
OF SOME OF THE PROBLEMS
THAT MUST BE SOLVED BE-
FORE THE NEW LAW GOES IN.
TO EFFECT.

In common with postmasters the
country over, Postmaster Plumley of
this city is wrestling with the prob
lens that will confront the Office with
the inauguration of the new parcels
post features of the postal service,
Jan. /. Probably no governmental
innovation has ever gone into effect
in the United States ~lconcerning which
the officials of the department directly
involved, from the highest official TO
the humblest employee, were so utterly
at sea. The new departure will have
to pass through an experimental stage
before it can be effectually organized
under a thorough-going system.
One of the cniet problems borhering
~postrnasters is the method ue delivery
of the larger packages, namely, those
to eleven pounds, the weight limit.
Postmaster Plumley has consulted
but local men engaged in the mer-
Chandise delivery business who are
equipped for this kind OF, work, with
a view of obtaining temporary con-
tracts until the department can get the
new features on a systematic foot
ing.
Several men engaged in the mer-
thandlse delivery business have had
conferences with Postmaster Plumley
at the ~postoftice, and it is probable
that thirty-day contracts will be en-
tered into with several by the middle
of neX week. Before the end of the
thirty-day contract, it is expected
that ii will be possible to form with
sor . degree of accuracy an estimate
of the extent to which he new serY-
ice will be used, and it is probable
that by early spring the department
will be ready to submit for compett-
tive bids contracts for a term of
years, probably four. Temporary
contracts will perhaps be let on a
piece-work basis, in the absence of
any information as to the volume of
business. .,...
owing to the absence of necessary
information, only a small appropriation
to meet the expense of the new de-
parture has yet been provided by
congress and estimates will have to
be based on alta obtained through the
temporary contracts. While the eX-
press companies would be the best
source of information in this regard
at present, it could not be expected
OF them, as the parcels post will throw
the ]postottice department in direct
competition with them.
AS mail is poured into postOffCes in
a continuous stream, the one great
desideratum is to, avoid accumulation,
which will present one of the gravest
possibilities in the Inauguration of the
new departure. ~Inadequacy of delivery
facilities will result in a quick inter
ment OF any postoffice force.
Regulations TO cover h workings
of the parcels post system have just
been made public by Postmaster Gen
eral Hitchcock.
The new system will be effective
throughout the entire postal service at
the same time and will affect every
p%ostottice, city, rural and railway
mail transportation route in the
country. - .a.
The regulations provide that parcels
of merchandise, including farm and
factory products (but not books and
! printed matter) of almost every de-
| scTiption up to e eleven pounds in
weight and measuring as much as six
feet in length and girth combined, eX-
Cept those calculated to do injury to
the mails in transit may be mailed at
any p~ostoffiCe for delivery to any ad-
dress in the country. Delivery will be
made TO the homes of people living
on rural and star routes as we'll as
those living in cities and towns
where there is delivery by carrier.
Where there is at present no deliv-
cry by carrier the parcels will go to
the postofice as in the case with Or
binary mail.
There is no change in the rate of
postage for seeds, bulbs and roots
and scenes and plants, but samples
of grain for food stuffs may be sent
in the parcels post. 1t is also explicit
ly stated that no packages will be
received that do not bear the name
and address of the sender,
For a fee of 10 cents a parcel may
be insured and if the parcel is lost
in the mails an indemnity to the
amount of its value not to exceed $50
will be paid to the sender. In conse-
quence of this insurance feature the
package for the parcels post will not
require registering.
The law provides for the use OF
distinctive postage stamps and there
is now being distributed to postmast-
ers for use in the parcels post system
a set of stamps of twelve denomina
tons. Parcels post maps. with ac-
companying guides are to be sold to
the public at their cost, rs cents
through the chief clerk of the post
office department.