The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1913-07-23
CHANGES PARCEL
POST RATES
OPPOSED
POSTMASTER GENERAL 5URLE-
SONS RECENT ORDER MEETS
STRONG OPPOSITION.
BITTER CONTEST PROMISED
Head of Department Summoned To
Appear Before Post Office Commit
tee With an Explanation of His Az
thority For His Action.
BITTER CONTEST PROMISED

Washington, July 23.-Concerted op-
position has developed in Congress to
Postmaster General Burlesons order
reducing parcel post rates and increas-
ing the maximum size of packages to
be handled in the service. The order
was issued Sunday, to become effective
Aug. Is, and Tuesday the Senate Post
Office committee requested Mr.. Burle-
son to appear before the committee
next Thursday with an explanation of
the authority for his action.
This was the first step in what prom.
ises to be bitter contest. When the
Postmaster-general has been heard
the committe is expected to undertake
to have withdrawn before Aug Is any
authority he may claim Congress has
given him to change rates and sizes.
1t was contended in committee that
the proposed changes would entail an
enormous loss to the government, and
some members complained strenuously
that the Post Office Department had
faSled to furnish Congress with data
concerning operation of the parcel
post.
Apparently there was no difference
of opinion in the committee as to
whether the Postmaster-general should
change the rates, Democrats and Re-
publicans agreeing that only Congress
ought to have this power.
Interest Widespread.
The controversy has aroused extra
ordinary interest at the Capitol, and
in official circles since the parcel post
touches more or less directly nearly
everybody in the country. Those who
are supporting the Postmaster-gen-
erals position insist that the only
loss imminent under the proposed
changes would be to the express COM
panies, which now carry the profit
making, large size packages, while the
government transports the Improbable
small ones.
Although members of the commit
tee contend it is a mere ungrammati-
cal tumble of words without sense or
power, department officials say the
Postmaster-general is given ample au-
thority for his order by the following
section of the parcel post law:
The classification of articles mail
able, as well as the weight limit, the
rates of postage, zone or zones and
other conditions of mail, AVAILABILITY
under this act, if the Postmaster-gen-
eral shall find by it's experience that
they or any of them, such as to pre-
vent the shipment of articles desirable,
or to render permanently the cost Of
the service greater than the receipts
of the revenue therefrom he is here
by authorized, subject to the consent
OF the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion after investigation, to reform
from time to time such classification,
weight limit, rates, zone or zones or
conditions, or either, in order to pro-
mote the service to the public or in
sure the receipt of revenue from such
service in order to pay the cost there
Of"
Clause Is Pending.
This language was put into the bill
in conference at the close of Con-
gress Enactment of the bill was de-
layed for a time by Senator Bryan of
Florida, who April Is last introduced
a bill to repeal the clause in question,
which is pending.
Some members of the congressional
committee point to the creation OF a
joint committee to inquire into the
subject of a general parcel post not
only as evidence that Congress intend
ed the rates should stand while the
committee was at work, but that Con
gress believed it only had the powe. :
to change the rates and sizes.
The change ordered by TIE Post.
master-general would effect only the
first or second zones, or territories
within radius OF $50 miles Of the