Carson City daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1907-1930, 1913-07-11
Carson Cly Daily Appeal
Advancement of the Parcels Post

THAT the Parcel Post is a success is shown from the fact
that a surplus is growing in the Federal treasury. The new
ing the benefit Of the long and hard fight that they made.
There was but n obstruction in the road for years and that
was the Express Companies. who realized that if the Govern
ment took up the transportation question that their tremend-
Gus profits were gone.
They managed to bak legislation for years.
Since the parcel post started it has been found that the
rates r. even too high. Uncle Sam does not intend making
this a profit proposition. but where the Government will get out
even and give the people the service.
the following suggestions to Postmaster General }urleson. and
if carried out will mean a lot to the people, if it does put the
express companies out of business:
Raise the 11-pound parcel weight limit to 100 pounds. Set
no weight limit at all when the patron collects and delivers
merchandise.
Make each zone 100 miles wide, including the local zone.
Collect a n initial charge of 3 cents and a rate of half a cent
a pound for each zone.
Admit any class of merchandise to the mails.
The rates proposed by Lewis are far below express rates,
and the increase of the freight limit to 100 pounds with no Inn
it when shippers deliver their own packages would leave the
express octopus no room for operation.
express companies to the railr Dads. they could not possibly re
duce their charges to compete with the parcels post. Yet,
Gent to pay a big profit to the government. wiping out the
postoffce deficit and making possible 1-cent postage, cheaper
rates o n other classes of mail and other reforms demanded by
the people.
It is possible for the PostmasterG General to make the pro
posed changes without getting ony further authority from Con-
gress because of a provision in the parcel post law, a provision
written in the law by Mr.. Lewis himself. and one of the most
remarkable provisions ever written in any law in any country.
This provision gives the Postmaster General power to make
any changes he sees fit to make in the parce! post rates, zones
Or conditions of AVAILABILITY. In other words, the rates pre-
scribed in the law were to be but the starting point for the
administration of the law to work out from. The rates of all
other classes of mail are fixed rigid!y by law.
The weight limit of II pounds is ridicuosly low to be of
great service to the country, says Mr.. Lewis. Most food is pro
duccdo n the farm in retail forms that of eggs by the doz-
Ell. chickens by the head. butte r by the pound, and so on. Tn"
buying agent converts them in to wholesale form-eggs by the
case, butter by the tub, and chickens by the arrel-an sells
them to the wholesaler, who in turn sells them in Wholesale form
to the reailer, who again converts them into retail form for the
consumer.
All these processes, p the aggregate. become a ttrrlble bur
den on the country. Farm products. which brought to the
farmers 81 5000 100000 last year, cost the consumer S13.OOO-
100000. The parcel post. with weight limit removed 81 that
worth while baskets may be shipped, will make the consumer
largely a first buyer with imm enSe benefit to himself and to the
farmer viii whom he deals.