Mexico Missouri message., 1913-01-02
HOW PARCEL POST
RATES ARE FIXED
Charges Are Regulated Under
the Zone System.
BIG ENTERPRISE LAUNCHED
Eleven Pounds Ia the Limit In
Weight for a Single Package
Anything That VIII Not In
Iure Other Mail Can
Be Sent
BY EDWARD 9. CLARK.

With the coming OF the New Year
the United States government will en-
ter into q new field of enterprise
the transmittal OF merchandise by
what is known as the parcel post
For years there has been a demand
for such a system OF inexpensive
transmittal Of packages. The camps
OF favor and disfavor OF the parcel
post scheme have been about equally
divided. Finally at the last session
OF congress a bill was passed which
will put the plan into operation, but
only It must be said in little more
than an experimental way.
II is the intention of Uncle Sam TO
move rather slowly in the parcel post
matter. He wants to find how popu-
lar 1t will be, how much It will cost
the government, and whether there is
10 be a profit or loss at the end OF
each year II It is found that the
plan is successful from the point OF
view OF the people which means the
government also, the parcel post will
be extended until finally it reaches
the proportions which its proponents
cay they believe 1t is destined 20 as
sumo.
Zone System Explained.
II is no exaggeration to say that
thousands upon thousands Of inquir-
les have been made OF the postmaster
general as TO Just what the parcel
post will mean TO the people. twas
the law OF congress establishing the
system which made provision for q
division OF the country into zones
and into 35 600 units which are to be
used as centers in describing the cir
cles which mark the boundaries OF
the zones. There has been no clear
understanding, apparently, OF this
zone system but really 1t is a very
simple matter.
The accompanying map shows the
country divided into zones from the
unit in which Washington is sit
uated, as the center. Accompanying
.he map is a table showing the rate
Of postage per pound for parcels from
Washington to places within all the
zones
Each unit contains an area thirty
milss square. Now each unit Is a
. 'tl4AN@ rum HAA4Nu TIC Eb4tn arr
drawn and so every unit in the coun.
Try no matter where II is situated will
have zones drawn from It just exactly
as Washington has them drawn from
II For instance, take Keokuk. la.
which IL IN unit in the fifth zone.
From that will be drawn circles ex.
actly as they are drawn from Wash
ingtou and they will be numbered from
KeoE4k as number one. Just as they
are numbered from Washington as
number one. or course. however,
Zose Six will have a different geo
GRAPHICAL position as related to Keo-
kuk han II has as related to Wash
ingtoL but as the radius Of the circles
drawn from Keokuk is the same
length as the radius OF the circles
drawn from Washington, Keokuk's
Zone Sly will be Just az far from its
center as Washington's Zone Six is.
How Rates Are Fixed.
II can be seen from this readily
Washington to its particular zone will
be the same as the postal rates from
Keokuk to its particular zones. Each
unit being about thirty miles square
will Of course contain in most cases a
number OF postofflces, but each Office
in the same unit is considered as be-
ing the center OF the circles from
which the zones are drawn. The
rates OF postage are fixed from the
unit In which the sending postofice is
situated but the price to every pla se
In any zone is just the same. To Il.
lustrate, It will cost exactly the Same
amount 10 send parcel from Wash
tngton " Erie. Pa. that It costs TO
send IL to Atlanta. Ga, because Erie
and Atlanta with reference 10 Wash
nEton are situated IN the fourth