The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1913-12-19
PARCEL POST CHANGES
EFFECTIVE JANUARY |
All Rates Will Be Cut After first Of Year
Says Secretary BurIesOn-Can Then
Send Fifty Pound Packages

to increase the weight limits of parce
post packages in the first and second
zones from 20 to so pounds, to admit
books to the parcel post, and to reduce
rates in the third, fourth fifth and sixth
zones was approved Saturday by the
interstate commerce commission.
The maximum weight of parcels to
all zones beyond the second was in
creased from II to 90 pounds. The
approved changes in rates and weights
to be in effect January !, 1914, follow:
To reduce the rates for the third
zone from cents for the first pound
and 5 cents for each additional pound
to cents for the first pound and Q
cents for each additional pound.
To reduce the rates for the fourth
zone from s cents for the first pound
and cents for each additional pound,
to cents for the first pound and 4
cents for each additional pound.
To reduce the rate for the fifth zone
from nine cents for the first pound and
cents for each additional pound to
8 cents for the first pound and 6 cents
for each additional pound.
To reduce the rates for the sixth
zone from 10 cents for the first pound
and nine cents for each additional
pound to 9 cents for the first pound
and 8 cents for each additional pound.
1t seems obvious" says the COM
mission, that the service to the public
will be promoted sby these changes,
provided the revenue from the service
is not less than the cost thereof. Your
experiences and statistics seem to show
clearly that the revenue will not be less
than the cost of the service.
1t is provided by the postmaster gen
eral, with the consent of the commits
sion, that the rate OF postage on par
cells containing books weighing eight
ounces or less shall be one cent per
each two ounces or fractional parts
thereof, and on those weighing in ex-
cess of eight ounces the zone parcel
rate shall apply" This is to be effect
i've March 16, 1914.
Consent also was given by the COM
mission to the admission of shipments
of gold bullion and gold dust in Alaska
and to and from Alaska in packages
weighing not more than II pounds.
The rate Of postage fixed is two cents
an ounce or fraction thereof for all dis
tances.
The postmaster general issued an
order, effective August IS last, increas-
ing the weight limit in the first and
second zones from II to 30 pounds
and materially reducing the rate of
postage for these zones, and stated at
that time that this step was in the ma
ture Of an experiment" said the state
ment issued tonight by the postoffice
department.
After these changes had been in
effect for some time, a record was kept
of packages handled in large number
OF representative postoffices thruout the
United States and the reports received
from these Offices show that the changes
in the service had been greatly appre-
ciated by the public.
The number of parcels handled in
the first and second zones since these
changes became effective show an in
crease OF approximately 10 per cent.
The average weight has also increased
from ID to IL pounds per parcel, and
Notwithstanding the great reduction in
rates in the first and second zones, the
average package has increased from TT
cents a parcel to 10 cents"