Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1913-07-11
TO AMEND
PARCEL POST
REGULATIONS
When Present Rates and Rul.
es are Modified Express
Companies VIII
Suffer

~- N@#~
strated it. And the time has come
10 extend the service 50 that !; viii
DO the general express business Of
the country, declares David J.
Lewis. the parcels post expert Of
the House, in = remarkable brief
addressed TO Postmaster General
B~urleson.
Lewis suggests the following
changes to be made at once:
Raise The ll-pyund parcel weight
!:m;: &c 100 poc=ds. Set TO weigh,
limit at all when the patron COL
lec;s and delivers merchandise.
Make each zone 100 miles vide.
including the loca! zone.
Collect al initial charge Of 3 cents
and & rate Of half Z cent 2 pound
for each zone.
Admit any class u merchandise
10 the mails.
That these changes would at once
put the express companies out OF
business and turn their entire
traffic over 20 the Post office there
is no doubt. The rates proposed
by Lewis are far below express
rates. and the increase Of the
weight limit 70 100 pounds with no
limi. when shippers deliver their
own packages would leave the ex-
press octopus no field for opera
ton.
Moreover, because Of the high
transportation rates paid By ex-
press companies 10 the railroads,
they could not possibly reduce
their charges 20 compete with the
parcel post. Yet, Lewis shows that
his proposed rates low as they are.
= sufficient to ray a nig profit to
the government. wiping out the
pust Office deficit and making pos
sible l-cent postage. cheaper rates
or other classes of mail and other
reforms demanded by the people.
1t is possible for the Postmaster
General to make the proposed
changes without getting any furth-
er authority from Congress because
Of a provision in the parcel post
law, a provision written in the law
By SIR. Lewis himself, and one of
the most remarkable provisions
ever written in any law in any
country.
This provision gives the Post
master General power to make any
changes he sees fit TO make in the
parcel post rates, zones or condi-
tions of AVAILABILITY. In other
words, the rates prescribed iE the
law yer to be but the starting
point for the administrators of the
Law TO work out from. The rates
of all other classes Of mail are fixed
rigidly by law.
The weight limit Of u pounds is
ridiculously low to be of great ser
vice to the country says Mr.. Lewis.
Most food is produced on the farm
in retail forms"-that is eggs By
the dozen, chickens by the head.
butter by the pound, and so on.
Inc buying agent converts them in
to wholesale form-eggs by the
case, butter by the tub, and chick.
ems by the barr el- and sells them
to the wholesaler, who in turn sells
them in wholesale form to the re-
taller, who again converts them in
to retail form for the consumer.
All these processes, in the aggre-
gate become a terrible burden on
the country. Farm products which
brought TO the farmers e. 1000. 900.
600 last year, cost the consumer
$4,000, 100000 The parcel post.
with weight limit removed 80 that
worth while market baskets may
be shipped, will make the consum-
or largely a FIRST buyer with i'm.
mense benefit TO himself and to
the farmer with whom he deals.
With a complete postal express
system in operation. Mr.. Lewis has
a vision Of a new industry-the
suburban gardener. the man whose
patch of ground is too small to
warrant maintaining a delivery
service. bot who. through parcel
post, a sell his garden produce
to the consumer in his town or
city.
willie Wise.
Sunday School Teacher-And what
aNA-fg - " 49,