Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1912-10-04
PARCELS POST AT LAST.

Fierce has been the discussion that
has been going on for several years
over various proposed parcels post
laws. 1t vas proposed by the post
office department some four years ago
to begin in an experimental way with
a limited parcels post, confined to the
postal routes emanating from some
particular town. The rate proposed
was cry low, as it we'll could be. We
favored this as a beginning, a method
of feeling the way to a broad system
OF parcels post similar to that enjoyed
by other nations. Our contracts with
foreign nations, by which we send
packages to the ends of the earth and
at lower rates than they could be car
ried from one county to the next at
home, made our postal system so
ridiculous in the eyes of the public,
thai congress was obliged to enact a
general parcels post and work out Jul
experience on this broad basis. The
law does not go into effect until Janu-
airy LIST next, and the government will
have to put forth great effort to get
ready by that time to take care of the
business that will be offered.
The present law is probably the
best that could be secured at the pre-
sent time. Each postmaster will be
supplied with a map on which he can
draw n around his own town. The
rate In the cities and the rural routes
is 5 cents for the first pound and l
cent for each additional pound, or Is
cents for eleven pounds, which is the
limit. The combined length and girth
Of a package must not exceed seventy
two inches. The rate for the first
zone, the ifty-mile zone, is 5 cents for
the first pound and 3 cents for each
additional pound, or IS cents for elev-
en- pounds to any point within fifty
miles of the p%ostoffice at which 1t is
mailed. In the second zone, the $50
mile zone, the rate is 6 cents for the
first pound and 4 cents for each addi-
tional pound, or AZ cents for eleven
pounds. The rate in the next zone,
the 300-mile zone, is 7 cents for the
first pound and 5 cents for each addi-
tional pound, or 81 cents for eleven
pounds. There are 6OO-mile, 1000
mile, ], 400.mile and 1,8OO-miles zones,
the rate in the last being II cents for
the first pound and 10 cents for each
additional pound, or Sill for eleven
pounds. The rate in everything be-
You'd this 1,8OO-miie zone is II cents
for the first pound and II cents for
each additional pound, or s1.33 for
eleven pounds.
What effect this will have on the
present systems Of distribution, no
man can accurately foresee. 1t is clear,
however, that it will enable the
farmers and t~ownspeople to trade
with each other more directly and
with much less expense than they
have ever done before. Every need
less expense is wasted; for whatever
gain it may be to the individual, it is
a loss to the community as a whole.
Hence the more directly people can
trade with each other, the greater
the benefits to be distributed among
the people.
No doubt this law will require some
amendment. Few laws have eve been
adopted that did not need some modi-
tication. 1t seems to us a reasonable
proposition to start with, however. 1t
would seem to US that the tendency
will be to scatter business more gen.
orally I've the country. However, no
man can tell just what the effect will
be. Whatever it may be, business
men will have to adapt themselves to
the situation. We are quite certain
that the general effect will be excel
lent.