The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-04-05

bill are being inspired by those who
see in it step toward a general par
GELS post system, which might hurt
them? No business interest in this
country would be hurt by the parcels
post system save the express COM
panies.
I believe it will be only few years
until we will have a general post sys-
tenn in this country, and with the light
now. before me l am ready to vote for
such a bill when it comes up.
The only argument I have ever
heard against the parcels post system
is that it would help the mail order
houses at the expense of the mer-
chants in the small towns. I do not
believe it would have that effect at all.
The home merchant has every advan-
tage. The people of his community
know him, and if he is the right kind
of a merchant they will have conf
dence in him. He is willing to make
good mistakes and to make his goods
satisfactory if they turn out to be un-
satisfactory. His expenses are less
than the expenses of the mail order
house in the big city, and he can sell
goods just as cheaply as they possibly
can. The personal equation counts for
a great deal in merchandising as in
everything else, and the merchant who
does a clean, straight business will
make and hold friends and customers
that no mail order house in a distant
city can take from him. If l were a
merchant 1 would not admit that I
could not do business among people
who know me in competition with a
merchant in distant city-who was
totally unknown in my community.
The United States is the only civil
lied country in the world that has not
parcels post system-which is SIM
ply cheap mode of Transporting
small packages of merchandise. The
railroads will not make charge for
less than 100 pounds, and many of
them will not accept small packages
at all. The packages weighing less
than four pounds now can go by mail
at the rate of Is cents per pound, or
1920 per ton. The average freight rate
is $3.50 per ton, and the average ex-
press rate is S7.61 per ton, making the
average for transporting express 14.53
to /. In ten countries of the old world
the average press rate is 5.23 to l.
These foreign countries have very
much lower express rates than we
have, but. they also have the parcels
post system for small packages. Yet
the parcels post system has not hurt
the merchants in the small towns OF
the old world, and the mail order bust
ness in these countries has not been
developed to the extent that it has in
this country, showing very clearly that
the parcels post system has not affect
ed either the small merchant or the
mail order business. From all l can
learn, the mail order houses in this
country are not interested in the bill
now before congress. They have not
had any lobbyists at work, either in
person or by mail or otherwise. On
the other hand, evidence of the active
opposition of the express companies is
to be seen on every side.
I know that 1 am not unmindful of
the interests of the merchants in the
small towns. l would not do anything
to iniure them. On the other hand, l
could not vote to tax all the rest OF
the people for the benefit of the mer-
chants. AS a Democrat, I do not be-
lieve in protecting one class of peo-
pie at the expense Of the rest of the
PEOPLE. l believe that cheaper trans
portation will bnefit all the people,
and l do not believe it will hurt any
of the people, possibly, those who are
interested in the express companies
and other transportation companies,
and I am quite sure that the charges
they are levying now are more than
they are entitled to.
Nor do 1 believe that lowering the
rates will put the express companies
out of business, or materially injure
them. You can doubtless remember
when some people opposed the build