The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1913-08-14
LEWIS TELLS FARMERS
OF THE PARCELS POST
Father of Parcel Post Addresses Gath.
erinq for Farmers Day Program.

ellIq IOI dlHlet OdY TEUqFdIH.
The object of parcel post is, take
it. first to reduce the cost of living: and
and second. to cut express rates. said
Congressman David J. Lewis, in an
address delivered Friday afternoon at
the Mt. Lake Chautauqua, on The
Parcel Post and the Farmer. The day
was known as Farmers Day at the
Chautauqua. The speaker illustrated
his arguments on the advantages Of the
parcel post with many interesting facts
and figures.
Continuing he said: '.No object can
be accomplished without using means.
The means used by parcel post is the
provision of adequate transportation
for retail shipments, that is, for ship
ments in sizes and quantities to suit the
needs of consumer direct from pro-
Queer to consumer.
For example, let US consider farm
products which usually are produced on
the farm in retail form. Eggs come
one by one; chickens, hams, etc. the
same way. Butter is made up in rolls.
ana everything the farmer produces for
table use is suited for The kitchen in
weight and size when produced. The
only trouble is TO lind a way to get them
from the farm to the kitchen As 10
direct way exists to transport them
directly from produce to consumer, they
must 90 into the roundabout processes
of commerce, which double the price to
the ultimate purchaser.
For a particular eSaasyle. consider
this statement; made up for me on the
9Th Of this month by a farmer who lives
70 miles from Washington. with respect
to the prices obtainine that day at
his farm. with the wholesaler who
purchases his produce, ardin the Wash
ington city market.
Two dozen eggs, which the farmer
sells for 32c bring to the wholesaler 40c
and when they get to the consumer. he
pays SOC for them, Yet they are not
better, but rather worse Their primal
freshness has been lost in tte many
transfers; you buy at third q fo4ls
hahd. both in prize and rs
dr' &@
at the CIV schea, l.o almost
double in price, you win notice.
Three pounds of butter; the farmer
got G0c for it; the wholesaler sold it
for 75c and the consumer paid $1.O5.
A ten-pound country ham; it went
from 9oc to $l.20, and then to 1920;
more than twice what the farmer got
for it, by the time it reached the
kitchen.
This lot packed, weighs % pounds;
and August 18th when the extension
Of parcel post goes INTO effect, any
farmer in Garrett county can hunt
customer in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia.
Baltimore, Washington, Richmond.
Harrisburg. Wheeling. Youngstown.
johnstown, Altoona, or any other Of the
thousands Of towns within the prescrib-
ed 1870 miles Of direct distance from this
county, and ship this lot to him every
week. at zlc for the transportation
cost. The lot will amount to $l.9s at
the farm; a Slab for the wholesaler
and the consumer now pays SIP. ]
imagine that the farmer will get some Of
that wide difference; and the customer
will save a great deal Of 1t. What the
farmer gets Will not be wasted, and the
sole result will be large step toward
meeting the high cost Of living in a
rational way.
There is now no transportation for
retail shipments. The railway engages
only in wholesale, or commerca al bust
ness. Its minimum weight is 100
pounds; and it cannot well reform its
practices to lower this minimum. 1t
uses methods of accounting is com
/ PEELED by its corporate structure and
relations to MAINTAIN such methods
that its cost of keeping track OF a pound
shipment is as great as for a carload.
But a pound cannot stand such an
expense; and therefore they carry
nothing less than a hundred pounds.
The express company does the same
kind Of costly accounting; and like the
railroad company, cannot reform. The