The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-01-09
THE PARCEL POST PROBLEM.

Under our curious parcel post law,
a fresh problem arises every time that
parcel is handed TO the different
postofices for transmission. The
tzone" ought to be changed every
time that there is different postofice
involved. The Tribune has printed
the "zonep as affecting Salt Lake,
but as affecting Ogden, Provo, or other
postofices. different "zope' system
ought to be put into effect in each case,
to avoid injustice, since otherwise the
full advantage of distance is denied
The imprscticable folly of all this was
pointed out by The Tribune during the
pendency of the bill. There was no
reason whatever to tx any such a sys
tenn Of "zones" with different rates
of payment in each, for our postal
system is not adapted to "zones,'' but
covers the whole country as a unified
entirety. In the handling of parcels
received from foreign countries we do
not fix any "zones,' and neither do
those countries fix any "Zones' in
handling parcels received from the
United States. We can send parcel,
say, from Salt Lake to London. Paris,
Berlin. or other foreign cities, without
any regard whatever to "zones," but
we cannot send parcel to New York,
Boston, New Orleans, San Francisco. or
other points within our own country
without introducing complicated
"zone'' lines, and differences in charge
for Transmission. And then, we have
special parcel stamps which must be
used. Any >one putting upon a parcel
ordinary postage stamps loses the
stamps and does not send his par
eel.
There is only one way to put the
parcel post on reasonable, compre-
hensive basis, and that is to handle
parcels precisely the same as other
mails without regard to "zones,'' and
without any discrimination as to what
kind of a postage stamp shall be put
upon it rs long ss it is an officially
issued government stamp.
The ordinary "zone" idea, while
convenient to express, does not in fact
meet the law. 1t is not "zones" that
we have, but Cunts of area thirty
minutes square, which means that each
occupies "onefourth of the space
formed by intersecting parallels of lati-
tude and meridians of longitude - Up
wards Of 5000 Of these Cunts of area -
| or irregular quadrilaterals are en-
braced in the United States. The area
is about thirty fvo miles long from
north to south, and varying upwards
from about twenty-three to thirty. three
miles, according to latitude, being Of
course wider in the south than in the
north. From the middle OF each of
these series of eight circle "zones -
are drawn, the first with radius of
fifty miles, the second one hundred and
fifty miles. the third three hundred
miles, and so on up, to 1900 miles and
beyond. A map covered with all these
irregular quadrilaterals and "zones''
drawn upon it forms an exquisite kind
OF, cob-web, in which, as it has been
Justly said, "the puzzle is to find how
much postage you will have to pay
to send parcel to any. postoffice in
the United States, which will vary
not only with the weight of the par
eel, but with the Zone into which
it must reach to get to the post.
office OF its destination.' The rate
is the same for all distances up to
four ounces in weight; that is, one
cent per ounce, which is just like all
our other postal fiat rates. But If
delivery is to be made from the post
the rate will be FIVE cents for the
first pound or fraction above four
ounces, and one cent for each addi'
tional pound or fraction OF pound
up to the limit Of eleven pounds. To
any postofice in the first "zoDe' or
within radius of fifty miles, it viii
be five cents for the first pound and
three cents for each additional pound,
but to any place in the second zone
the rate will be six cents for the first
pound and four cents for each addi-
tional pound; in the third, TO put 1T
concisely, seven for first and five for
each additional; in the fourth, eight
and six; in the fifth, nine and seven;
in the sixth, ten and nine; ~ the
seventh, eleven and ten; and in the
eighth twelve and twelve; the first
fpure being for one pound and the
second for each additional pound, or
. fraction thereof. This. according to
an analysis which we find in the New
, York Journal Of Commerce and Com.
: mercial Bulletin.
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