The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1913-01-09
Another View of the Parcels Post


and difficulties of packing and the
possibility of injuries to the ship
ment.
1t is going to take some time for
both farmers and consumers to learn
the art of dealing together, however
easy the conditions are made But
farm products usually sell in the city
markets at about twice what they
bring on the farm, and surely this
difference in price ought to provide
the ultimate buyer and the farmer
sufficient motive and profit to get to-
gether very soon. BY the time they
have learned how the extortionate
rates and the low weight limit of II
pounds will have been removed.
Now, what is the function of a
parcel post? Obviously it is to move
direct from producer to consumer as
the first buyer, instead of the third
or fourth, all products sufficiently
standardized to permit the consul
mer to safely buy direct. In order
to do this, the rates should be as
low as the costs or service permit it
in the pOstoffice and the weight limit
as high as the retail weight of such
products ordinarily runs in indivi-
dual consumption. Other countries
have a weight limit of more than
100 pounds, and Belgium, the para
gon in this matter, is proposing to
raise it's weight limit from 1872
pounds to 22O pounds.
My own idea is that SO pounds
should be the limit as to Invisible
products, with no weight limit as to
articles that may weigh more and
are incapable of division, like a ma
chine. For the larger weights, above
SO pounds, the carriage should be
done by the consignor and consignee,
the Postal Department, equipping it.
self to deliver weights up to so
pounds. Of course, it would make
no difference to the department how
heavy the article was while on the
rails.
The whole subject is now up to the
Postmaster-G General If the rates are
too high, if the weight limit is pro-
hibitive, if the cIassifcations are in
adequate, blame the Postmaster
General. Not as man, Of course,
but as an institution, to which Con
gress has given the power and invi-
tatiOn to construct a satisfactory
transportation system for producers
and consumers and upon which it
has imposed the responsibility to
make all these things right But oh,
what an opportunity for constructive
work, which, we'll done, in broadcast
conception Of public progress and
public service would render the
POstmasterG General, brave enough
to realize his opportunity, the star
of the first magnitude in postal his
tory!
The conditions are such that he
can initiate system that will take
the place Of the express companies
and extend their service to every viii
lage and farm at rates One-half
those they have been charging, eff
fectively supplying direct from pro-
Queer to consumer transportation.
He can utilize the fast freight rates
and service on the railroads to give
rates about One-Quarter those now
charged by the express companies
for articles Of shipment that could
not pay for the relatively costly pas
sengar train service. In two years
he can make enough profit out of
thus utilizing the rural free delivery
structure, now profitIess and q dead
expense, and out of this fast Height
service to make penny" postage
practicable without changing the
postage rates for newspapers and