Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-01-01
SAVING POSSIBLE ON BUTTER
AND POULTRY PRODUCTS
Secretary Hitchcock Predicts That
System Will Be Followed BY Taking
Over Of Business Of Express Com
panics.

cay
While the present parcels post rates
are only fraction of tire charges i'm
posed by the express trust. Postmaster
General Hitchcock is confident they
Will he reduced to a lower level after
the cost of operation is ascertained..
The express companies have decided
TO reduce their rates in order to COM
pete with the government. and these
charges evidently will be forced still
lower. Tie parcels pest Will serve 20,
100000 more people than now are ac
cessible TO express delivery.
Hitchcock's Wow on Method.
"My view" said Mr. Hitchcock, sis
that ultimately the government should
take over the entire business Of the
express companies think also that
it should be done promptly. The ex
press companies should receive a. fair
price for their business and equipment
and their plant should be transferred
to government control
"rhe establishment Of the parcels
post is bound TO result in a downward
revision of express rates by the private
companies. The express companies
have federal and state taxes to pay.
while the postoffice Department. in its
operation of the parcels post will not
be taxed and will not be required to
earn money for the payment of divi
dends. 1t will be operated at cost.
The fact that the express com
panies will have to lower rates will
mean. of course. that there will be
reduction in dividends. There are thou
Of holding small
amounts Of stock in express companies,
and their holdings will become less val
! liable. To prevent injury to their in
terests. a fair minded and generous
policy would be to pay the express
companies for their entire properties
as they stand today and thereafter
! have the government conduct all eX-
| press business
Saving Possible on Butter.
| 1t frequently happens that butter
| sells in the country for Is cents less
pound than in the city. The urban
housewife now will be enabled to order
from one to eleven pounds of butter
sent to her by mail from any place
within fifty miles, and the postage will
be from 70 80 cents. With s1.65 rep
resenting the difference in butter prices
y
city, she still saves $3.50, or more than
! 10 cents a pound.
She even may buy her butter $50
miles distant, paying 46 cents postage
on eleven pounds, and save s119 Even
when the difference in price s,only
! cents. she can save 30 cents on eleven
! pounds purchased within fifty miles
and get butter fresh from the farm
| churn.
| Likewise. the farmer may telephone
the village store to send him eleven
| pounds Of groceries. clothing, imple-
ments or other merchandise on the
next delivery over his rural postage
! route and the postage will he only Is
! cents. The farmer or villager may
send to the metropolis for articles not
! Cbtainable in the local stores and OBJ
tain them at postage rates of cents
! for the first and cents for each addi-
tiCnal pound within 80 miles.
Postmaster General Hitchcock with
Il force Of experts has worked out the
| intricate details of the system eStab-
l:shed by congress four months ago
and believes thmat it will work with
! comparative SmOothness and dispatch
! from the start.
: The postmaster general is spending
1853 GOO to put the system into opera
! ton. a!tho it is expected to be self
! supporting within q few weeks. He
| has allotted S3GO. coo to theslarger offices
FOR employing additional clerks and
! carriers, hiring automobile trucks and
other delivery vehicles, etc.
Chicago. which is expected to do a
! tremendous parcels post business. was
! given the largest allowance, 1000. fer
vehicle hire Included in tile equipment
provided for the service are 10000
! scales. 100000 tags, 153,292.455 sre-
cial parcels post stamps $4,000 rubber
stamps. 10000 zone maps, guides, and
regulations. and 12,C5S,A35 post aSe
! due" stamps.
Some Restrictions on Service.
JnGer the new regime it will be nee
essary for one to revise somewhat
previous ideas in regard to the send
! ing Of packages by mail All articles
cow mailable as fourth class matter
are mailabe under the parcels pcs.
regulations, which include. in addition,
a vast number of articles not accepted
now.
Eut It is necessary to remember that
beginning with next Wednesday a
package of merchandise or other fourth
class matter must not be dropped into
a package mail box, as hitherto. but
must be taken to the postofflee or
branch station. POstmasters are al
lowed wide discretion as to the fixing
Of mailing places, but at first the gen.
erai rule will be to take the parcels
to a postoffice. Later the deposltins
of parcels in mail boxes probably VIII
be allowed generally.
Also it is necessary to remember
that henceforth all parcels must beal
the special parcels post stamps. Far
i. GELS stamped with ordinary stamps VII
not be forwarded. ANY packaseaWelsn
, iny not more than four ounces may pt
sent anywhere in the country, regard
less of distance. at the fate OF cen
s an ounce or fraction thereof But IL !
{ weighs more than four ounces 1T mus
5; be sent at the pound and distance rate
tho ,,octape of the minimum of clever