The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-04
PARCEL POST IS NEW
WONDER BUSINESS
Enormous Gain at the New
York POstOffice
NEW FIELDS OFFERED
Virgin Field For Scale Makers--A
Chance for Politeness in Postof-
fice--Still Room for I'm
prOvement
NEW FIELDS OFFERED

fice--Still Room for I'm
prOvement
From the Boston Transcript
AS metaphorical term, doing a land
office business" must be scrapped as obso-
lete slang. 1t no longer contains the
germ of truth which Dean Trench re-
quired OF words and phrases that were
worthy to stand, for it has been super
seded in significance by parcel post bus
lness.' This is the new wonder business
In the way of quick, phenomenal expan-
sion. In New York, although express
companies endeavored by ingenuity ana
diplomacy TO hold what they could of
their package transportation, and al
though the postoffice is vet imperfectly
adjusted to the added duties of an ex-
tended express delivery, the parcel post
since January 81 has doubled itself. Last
month the increase in the number of par
GELS received and delivered amounted to
SS per cent above the February record
and the increase in the number mailed
and dispatched I'm the city amounted to
A per cent At this rate-well, the cash
iers of the G. P. o. hesitate to go farther
IN arithmetical progression statistics than
to say that IL this continues till Decem-
Der they will then be taking in some
sl6O,ooo each day for parcel stamps. Not
to speak of the Christmas rush, thought
or which gives the administrative force
a wish TO join the Spugs
Success in the Millions
Here are the impressive figures of Post
master Morgan for the first quarter in
New York city;
Parcels received and delivered for jan
uary 66o.1So, February 70e, ,ss1, March l. 754.-
Oo4. Mailed and dispatched for January
ESQ $50, February 3,S13,029, March 4.9S7. .621.
Parcel stamps sold January l to April
Is, s1,G26,000
Reports for the first two weeks of April
show that the ratio of increase is being
kept up-42 per cent monthly for incom-
ing and outgoing. Should it be main
tanned til the end of the year the stamp
sales in this city for parcels would rea ch
sio,ooo0Oo, which is more than the gross
eceipts of both the Wells Fargo and of
the United States expresses, from opera
ton throughout the country during the
year 1911, and two-thirds of the total op-
Grating revenues of all the principal ex-
press companies for the whole country
that year.
Information has not been prepared as
TO the average weight of parcels Nor Is
it possible to reckon the value of the
merchandise forwarded for no value is
placed on each parcel, as required by the
express. There is some approximation
possible through the insurance. In three
months at the New York postoffice the
value placed on articles insured was
about 81 $50, 500 On the basis used in
Boston for a similar computation, the
value of merchandise so far shipped from
New York city by parcel post would be
about s51 100000. If Boston saved SAC, 900
in three months in the purchase of par
eel stamps instead of paying the higher
express charges, then New York city In
three and one-half months has saved
near s25o,0o0. Several businesses have
prohted here by the new post Scale
makers were provided with virgin field
Carton makers have market for pro-
ducts not before demanded What horses
had to be disposed of by the express
through this diversion of their business
were in due proportion acquired by the
parcel delivery contractors.
Companies Need No Sympathy
There need be no commiseratio for
NV OHpi c'sf f>ctoioiliS 10 tnelG own
statements only about IS per cent of their
net returns have come from their trans
portation business. About 80 per cent of
the net aggregate returns of the five
main companies come from non-trans-
portation activities. More than half of
the total net returns represent income
from investments and earnings, checks
for travellers, investments of former earn
lngs In real estate, stocks, bonds" ac-
cording to Walter ID. Hines, counsel for
the five expresses. Reinvesting the rents.
dividends or interest received from these
investments, companies began to make
very considerable profits, just as bank
or an insurance company might do from
the investment and lending OF moneys
and reinvestment of the proceeds When
we consider that for about so years the
express companies have been pursuing
TINS policy, 1t is natural that they should
nave large assets today. Just as any bank
or other large financial institution would
nave if it had been in business for 60
years and had kept putting large part
of its profits back into the business and
this would be true il the express compa-
mes mad never engaged in the transpor-
tation business at all. 1t is their own saw
so that 90 per cent Of their business was
not the business of collecting TRANSPORT
ing and delivering packages. Obviously
pfodlglous lnroads have been made on. the
otner 40 per cent by the post When the
Z. .. ID. service is instituted by the par
eel post on July / another section of the
express business will be won away. Mean
time the expresses are grasping at every
visible straw.
Instructions lately issued by one of the
expresses to it's employees. only
the most efficient of whom it could re-
tain. was as follows:
The rev year brought the express
business Il competitor worthy of its met
tie-the new parcel post The country
mas had parcel post for many wears
'fhe new plan is. however, radical
enlargement of the old. in raising the
weight limit of packages from four to II
pounds, in establishing lower scale of
rates through zone system and in re-
curing the issue of special series of
stamps.
There should be no hesitancy as to our
attitude. We should treat this newcomer
as worthy of respect, realizing that he
represents governmental policy and is an
experiment of national interest. Remem~
per that the express, vital to commercial
life of the nation. gains growth ana
strength. not by opposing competition.
put oy rendering a service which best
meets public necessity and convenience.
For three-qharters of century the ex-
press has been a vital part in the great
est commercial growth the world has
ever witnessed. Our pony rider, with his
saddlebags, rendered personal service.
More than ona-ilo,f NJ ftc o,,oDro,.z