Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1913-01-02
*For full explanation Of the rates Of postage in the First
Zone see the Parcel Post Guide.


" .lch the zones are drawn. the
rates Of postage are fixed from the
unit In which the sending postoffice Is
situated. but the price to every place
In any zone Is Just the same. To IL
lustrate, 1t will cost exactly the same
amount to send a parcel from Wash
ington to Erie, Pa. that It costs to
send 1t to Atlanta, Ga. because Erie
and Atlanta with reference to Wash
ington are situated In the fourth
zone. The rates therefore are fixed
from the unit In which the postoffice
Is located. but they are the same
from that Office to any point in any
ono zone.
1t will be seen by reference to the
table Of rates of postage that 1t will
cost more per pound to send a pack
age long distance than it does to
send 1t short distance. The rate in
creases for a package weighing one
pound at the rate Of one cent for
each zone. No package weighing
more than II pounds can be sent I'M
der the new parcel post law. It
should be said right here that on the
long hauls the parcel post may not
be able to compete with the express
companies, but that on shorter hauls
It can SO compete. 1t was the ex-
pressed desire Of the legislators and
Of the postoffice officials that the par
Gel post system should be made OF
particular use to persons having farm
and factory products to transmit to
customers. It Is probable that pro-
ducers must study the rates Of post
age and the convenience Of trans
initial and compare them with the
cost and convenience under present
methods before individually a man can
determine whether he Is to profit or
not by the change. Then there is an
other thing to be considered and
which only can be known definitely
when fuller regulations have been
made to specify exactly what kind OF
things can be sent by parcel post. II
can be said in general way that any
thing can be sent which is properly
wrapped and which will not inture
other mail matter with which 1t may
come In contact.
Copy Foreign Countries.
It Is probable that the government
will adopt means of transportation
| for certain kinds of its merchandise
much like those which have been
adopted in parcel post countries
abroad What the English call ham
pers basket-like arrangements, prob
ably will be adopted, and as these can
/ be kept separate from the ordinary
mail matter it is believed that the
regulations as finally adopted will al
low the sending of eggs, butter, dress
ed poultry, live poultry, honey, fruit
and other products OF the country.
The 11-pound limit for single pack
age may work at first against any
very extended use of the parcel post
for some of the articles which have
been named OF course, more weight
can be sent If it is sent in different
parcels, but the cost in that case
would be heavier because the in
crease per pound on a single package
is not great up to IL pounds, and
probably 1T would increase at no great
er rate IL the government were tc
raise the limit of weight which is now
fixed. To make It simpler, 1t will
cost more to send two packages of II
pounds than It would to send one
package of % pounds IL the govern
ment eventually should allow heavi