The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-12-21
Congressman Believes 1t VIII
Increase Net Receipts.
Will Become Backbone of Rural
Delivery Service.
THE RULES AND REGULATIONS
Instructions in Preparing Mat
ter for Mailing.
Articles That Can and Cannot
Be Mailed.
SUNDAY

Washington, d. c., Dec. 21--'The
rural free delivery service is destine1
to become the backbone of the United
States postal service with the advent
of the TaTrel post. It cannot be 9TH
wise. in my opinion. when one calmly
reviews the functions of the parcel
post"
gressmaO David J. Lewis of Maryland
when asAed by a State Journal repre-
sentative to discuss the American par
eel post. Mr.. Lewis is regarded as
the best informed man on the parcel
post in congress today. The present
parcel post law is chiefly his handi-
work
.'The cost of the rural mail service
at the present time he added, rs
in the neighbOrhOod of S45, 100000 an
nuaIIy. The receipts from that branch
of the service are something like ST.
100000. I predict the day is not far
distant when this 100000 will jump
to the neighborhood of $45,O9O,0oO,
and again from this point it Will grad
ualIv advance until rural letter car
riers will be the first branch OF the
postal service to win the distinction
of earning more money than the gov
eminent expends upon them
Benefits the Farmer.
THE question of how it is going to
be done is comparatively simple. 1t
is purely an economic one The farm
err of the country has certain things to
sell in the town and city, the producer
of the town and city has certain things
to sell to the farmer When the one
appreciates that the needs of the 9TH
err can be filled without the unneces-
sarv hardships OF the middleman the
broker and excessive express charges,
but direct through the medium OF the
parcel post, with its collect on delivery
feature, the increase of the parcel post
business must necessarily reach ire
mendOuS proportions.
THE producer and consumer are
brought face to face with an economic
mutually which they cannot ralI 10
take advantage of. Their business must
demand an extensive use of the parcel
post system. This mutually must also
of necessity. reduce to considerable
extent. the high cost of living. 1t OBJ
Iiterates the charges of the middle
man the wholesaler, expensive deliv-
cry costs and almost an innumeraoIe
list of other small charges that tend
to increase the present nigh retail
costs
far reaching as it is possible to make
if We have now 100000 miles OF
railway mail service and perhaps l.
100000 miles of rural service. With
the growth OF the system as II IN
creases. its effectiveness will no doubt
give the United States the greatest
parcel post service in the world. rs
possibilities in my opinion, are IN
limited
Defects in Foreign Systems
1.-The greatest defect in foreign par
eel post systems, with the exception of
ReIFiurn. lies in the fact that its prob
lens are administrative rather than
Legislative The legislator has pre-
scribed rates, weight limits, zones and
classification in such a fashion that
the administrative officials are given
no opportunity to solve the problems
as they develop unless the legislator
gives his permission through some
special legislative enactment
obviously the administrative Off
ciaIs should be given the privilege of
re-rating. Reconsideration and kindred
privileges to successfully encounter diff
fic11Ities as they arise if their service
is to reach its highest degree of eff
cheney. This difficulty has been amply
cared for in the American parcel post.
s.The failure to provide administra-
tfveIy- for. problems as they arise in the
service has had the effect in Great
Britain of making a 2-cent a pound.
when a cent a pound is ample after
charge of four cents for the first pound
1t has also had the effect Of denying
the c. o D. feature, which, to my mind.
belongs TO the very vitals of a parcel
most service. In Germany the effect is to
restrict tn, average shipment to about
five pounds. because the rates on ship
ments above eleven pounds to one hun
dred and ten pounds. the statutory
limit. are % high as to prevent traffic
movement in their parcel post above
that weight
IF Germany could change its zones
and rates to correspond with the cost
Of service, it's parcel post would prove
to be a vastly .sreat, public accom-
mediation than it is today.
Rates Are Prohibitive-
THE Australian colonies have no
n SO