Willmar tribune., 1912-07-31

Senator Jonathan Bourne, of Ore
gon, chairman Of the subcommittee
on Parcels Post, has submitted his
report to congress. AS all political
parties Of the nation have commit
ted themselves in favor Of a parcels
post law, it is evident that its adop-
ton cannot long be deferred. The
plan worked out by the committee is
therefore Of interest to everybody.
The following are brief extracts
from the report mentioned:
'1n my bill Is. 6850) I propose to
combine the third and fourth class
es, but leave fiat rate of l cent per
ounce up to 4 ounces, the purpose
being to provide for circular matter
now mailed under the third class at l
cent for each 2 ounces. Investigation
shows that the average weight of
such circulars falls under an ounce,
hence, although the rate is seemingly
doubled on circular matter, yet, in
general, the cost Of sending circu-
lars is practically unchanged and no
injustice or hardship ensues. Cata-
logues or other printed matter not
of the second class weighing more
| than 4 ounces would go at the par
cel-post rates according to the dis
tance transported. Catalogues and
other printed matter weighing more
than ounces are, in shape, weight,
and manner Of handling, parcels, the
same as other classes Of merchan-
disc, and there is no apparent reason
why they should be transported at a
different rate.
"Under this plan Of consolidation
of the present third and fourth class
mail matter We will have but three
classes instead Of four as at present,
with the result that the Government
VIII know the gross rece ipts for eaci
class Of mail matter. providing NY
Recommendation Of establishing spec
l. ia packet stamps suitable only for
the new third class mail matter be
|a.lopted. Then all frst-class mail
matter will be paid for by use of
ordinary postage stamps, the gross
, receipts fl ON sale Of which will be
credited to first class mail matter
All second-clas mail matter will be
paid for as at present, in money, and
third-class mail matter be paid fol
by use Of special packet stamps, the
sale Of which will be credited to the
new third -class mail matter. Thus
without the, expense Of a single ad-
ditional bookkeeper, the Government
will have reliable information as te
the gross receipts Of each of the
three classes Of mail matter, which
information will be Of immense value
in the ascertainment Of the relative
costs Of each whenever a plan is
evolved to show the relative expense
for handling each class.
"The next problem was the ascer
tainment Of the necessary transpor
tation charge based on distance trav
eled. In my initial study Of tht
problem I thought this would be cas-
lilly solved by taking each post ofic,
as center and drawing a circl
around it according to the zone dis
= tance established. I soon determines
the impracticability Of the adoption
of this plan because Of the fact tha
! there are some $4,000 post Offices il
the United States and with map Il
. feet long and 10 feet wide an effor
to designate the post Offices on suc]
map would be like printing the Lord
n Prayer on the head of a pin.
'The next plan considered was t.
make each State unit, and this al
so was soon ascertained to be i'm
, practicable, as Texas, for example
=, contains, in round numbers, 10000
|square miles and Massachusetts on
y ly 5000 square miles, with practical
ly the same number Of inhabitants.
each State were made unit thi
y would permit citizen in Texas t
send a package at given rate man
times the distance within his ow
! State that a citizen in Massachusett
e could within his. The plan of form
\ ing units by grouping several sma
States was also found impracticabl'
1.-The next plan considered wa
that of adopting each county as
: unit, but the great difference in area
i Of these counties presented much th
e. same injustice and difficulty that th
IS adoption Of State unit would pres
l, ent. Furthermore, to both State an
III county units arose the objection {
Is the possibility of change of the
5 boundaries and Of the formation {
, new States and new counties.
le "The next thought was the adoI
y tion Of unit consisting of a quat
l. rangle formed by meridians of long
+ tude and parallels Of latitude. Thes
w are always fxed-never changing
IN though varied somewhat in area a,
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