Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1912-04-11
Cheap f56d N Parcels Post.

/
nah, Ga, Press
Cheap rod " Parcels Post.
How Gsrmany sTries on Mail-0 rde,
Businsss viii he Farmer.
EMilwapkee Sentinel
Virtually anythipR can be shipped by
parcels post n tSsi pany except explos-
ives. Butte ks, poultry. fruits.
vegatabies. .f6eSts and III kinds Of food
products are regularly shipped in large
quantities.
Thousands Of families IN large cities
get their supply of butter. eggs and
poultry shipped to them each week by
parcels post direct from the farms ON
which they are procured. This insures
their freshness and permits the produc-
er to deal directly with the consumer,
thus saving large part OF the cost Of
distribution.
All of The investiga tions of the cost of
living In American have shown that the
high prices OF food products were due to
the cost Of production, the consumer in
the city frequently paying 100 per cent
more for the product tban the farmer,
who produced it received.
The inquiriesof the United States De-
partment of Agriculture in 1910 showed
that lara general average for the Is
cities lin all parts of the country the
creamery receives 1858 per cent of the
consumers price for creamery prints. :"
OF poultry 1t was found the farmer re-
ceived only 55 per cent Of the consum-
er's price, and '.of the price per dozen
py the consumer the producer received
So per cent IN the case of eggs. -. Sec
rotary Wilson. from whose report the
above quotations have been made, says
that it is "a problem for consumers and
not farmers to remedy" and that ''it
ia plain that the farmer ia not getting
an exorbitant price for his products.
aud that the cost of distribution from
the time of delivery at destination by
the railroad to delivery to the consumer
is the feature of the problem of high
prices which must present itself to the
consumer for treatment" He asks,
.sWhy do not consumers buy directly
from the farmers r. Simply because
there is no satisfactory way for them
ID, do DO, and It Il this lack that that the
parcels post system Of Germany sup
plies.
For over 100 years Germany has had a
parcels post of some description, and
since 1873 thepresent very effective and
successful system. At first charges
were made for sending packages accord
ing to their weight and the distance
they were to go, This resulted in an
endless amount Of figuring for the
postal clerks and disproportionate
charge for small packages that were
only sent short distances. Then the
charges were fixed according to zones.
that is, uniform price was charged
for the first five miles and increased for
each additional Ave miles, unit the dis
lance reached so miles; then it was
| raised every 10 miles until 100 miles was
reached, and for distances more than
100 miles the rate charged for every
additional 20 miles.
While this was a decided improve
ment, it still involved q great deal OF
calculation, and in 1873 a fat rate of 25
pfennigs (6 cents) per package up to
the weight of Ave kilc grams III pounds)
for distance not more than 10 miles
was fixed. For all distances more than
10 miles uniform rate Of 80 pfennigs
| az cents) was charged for packages uI
to the weight of eleven pounds. Sc
that o-day the cost of sending pack
ages under II pounds in weight is az
uniform in Germany as letter postage
except that for distances of less thar
IL miles it is only on half as much al
for longer distances, and one can sene
an eleven-pound package across thu
German empire for a little more thar
/ cent per pound. and it will be delivered
just as letter.
For packages Of more than II pounds
the charge is fixed according to thu
weight of the package and the distanc'
it is to go. The rate is uniform up tt
10 miles, and increases for distances be
tween 10 and 20. 20 and SO. so and 100
100 and $50. and is uniform for distance,
more than $50 miles.
4 Butter ranks first Of all in sgricultua
products that are carried by post. OF
ten it is shipped a. far as 200 or 80
miles; but so long a. the package Is no
over il pounds in weight. it can be sen
for the uniform rate of IL cents. As Al
example OF the extent to which thepar
GELS post is used for such shipment, tn
records show that from the province .
East Prussia alone, which i about On
fourth as large % Pennsylvania. nearl
csc, 900 PACKAGE Of butter and 5000
packages u cheese are shipped eac
year BY post. Cream and milk are ais
shipped. to much less extent. by th
! same means.
Nextin impOrtahee 10 the dairy pre-
; ducts come eggs and dressed poultry
and these shipments to private custom