The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1912-03-29
AGAINST rHE PARCELS posi-.
OBSERVER.


The parcels post question is now be
fore the country, and arguments fol
and against it are being made by those
interested. There are many things
that can be said on both sides and tC
aid in a proper understanding the argu
ments used against the measure are
here given:
The advocates of the rural parcels
post claim that this system of mer
chandise transportation would enouble
the farmer to have small packages OF
merchandise delivered at his mail box
quickly and cheaply.
No one disputes this--but there are
two more sides to the question Here
is one:
Every rural delivery carrier is now
authorized to carry merchandise par
cells weighing over four pounds from
your far INTO town or from town to
your farmland you, or the town man,
pay the carrier whatever you agree is
right. The proposed postage charge
would average much more than what
you would pay under the present sys-
tenn ow local delivery. Now there is
no maximum weight limit, for the car
rier can take anything for you that he
is able to carry, but it is proposed to
limit the weight TO eleven pounds only.
This would greatly curtail the delivery
privileges now open to every farmer
who desires to use them, and make de-
livery cost him more than under the
present method.
Here is another side of the question
the side seen by your good friends,
the home merchants:
Big city merchants of all kinds
would be quick to seize the rural par
cells post as a delivery outlet through
the use of local agents, to whom par
cells would be shipped in large quanti-
ties by cypress or freight for deposit
in the local postoffice and delivery by
rural carriers. There is absolutely no
way in which this could be prevented
The opportunity thus afforded these
mail order houses for the development
of a gigantic trust is a most serious
menace to the farmers welfare. Every
of life could in time be mo-
nopolized through the operation of this
government postal subsidy, taxed
against all the people and applied for
the benefit of the mail order trust. Al
ready Wall Street sees the trend of
events. and big business has become
in fostering and financing
the parcels post agitation. Its appe-
tite has been stimulated by the results
of the past few years. which have en-
abled one mail order housesto pay an
annual dividend of per cent on its
many millions of capital. and recently
to declare a special dividend OF 80 lS
per cent. What farmer can ever hope
to equal that record?
The big city merchant pays no taxes
Of any kind-direct or indirest-in
your community. They do not help
maintain your schools, churches, Ii
brairies, hospitals an dother public in
They do not help to build
and maintain good roads. They do not
give you credit. and they give you
neither sympathy nor help when mis-
fortune comes. These big city mer-
chants have absolutely no interest in
you. excepting to get hold of as many
dollars as they can and give as little
return therefor as possible.
furthermore. the big city merchants
10 not help in any way to maintain
and build up the home markets for
your products that enables you to get
spot cash or its equivalent for every
thing you have to sell Your location
near such a town increases the value
of your farm and makes that farm easy
to sell at full value whenever you de-
sire.
You appreciate the fact that the
farmer trade keeps up the country
towns and that any system-sueh as
The parcels post-which viii divert the
farmer trade fro mthe country town
10 the big city viii ruin the country
town.
If the country town is ruined, the
farmers home market will be destroy
ed or at least very seriously impaired.
Property values in the country towns
would certainly depreyiate as store
after store was forced out of business,
and greater burdens of taxation would
be placed upon the farmers over
shoulders. Lack of funds
raised BY taxation would eurtail the
schools OF the country town. Churches
now so largely supported by the home
could no longer be kept
with ministers. unless the
farmer members heavily increased
heir contributions. Public spirit would
be destroyed, public institutions would