The Hawaiian gazette., 1913-01-28

Already with the first application OF
the new parcel post law in the Terri
tory of Hawaii dissatisfaction is ex
| pressed with the result of this long
the average parcel than is the PRESENT
parcel properly insured is eater Tor
published the expense OF sending a
shown below in the comparative tabls
which does not relieve. As will b.
looked-for relief from high rates
express rate, while it is really much
more expensive to send parcel of
four pounds or less than under the old
system.
Another matter of dissatisfaction is
that the public is forced to use tle
parcel post, compelled to stand in line
to get selvice, TO buy special stamps,
to take out insurance, to waste time
over the saving of two cents that may
be valuable or a hardship to waste.
Altogether the present arrangement
appears to be one of those hybrid com
promises which can please only the ei.
press companies and the senators o
toisted the expensive imitation gold
brick on the country.
In Honolulu the present parcel post
regulations have resulted in the loss to
l'the postoiiice of all the business from
the banks in sending money from here
to the other islands. Heretofore the
banks paid sixteen cents a pound to
send through the mail cash for their
clients, now it would be thirty-two
cents pound, and the express com
pany gets al the business, doing it at
a CHEAPER rate and more expeditiously.
Another thing is that all parcels sent
Il al L., 1.
sealed, except when going by first
class mail Also these parcels are sent
to their destination by fast freight
instead of by passenger. trains, while
the express companies still send by
the latter and thus deliver quicker.
! To mail a parcel under the new law
one has to go to the postoffiee while
the express company picks up your
packages for you and delivers it and
, one has to go to the postofice, while
| special insurance stamps have to be
placed on a package to send it proper
, ly safeguarded through the parcel post.
Inconsistent Rates.
The following table will show the in
consistency of the parcel post zone
1 rates and also shows the express rates
to the same delivery points:
| EXPERT LIB CauSClc.
James L. Cowles, secretary of the
postal progress league of the United
States, comments caustically upon the
new law, saying, among other things:
"Certain it is that if the express
companies themselves had framed the
new lay they could hardly have sue
ceeded in making it more intricate, or
better calculated TO disgust the public
Ice la fhof he
companies, would retain the bulk of
the express business.
Continuing, Mr.. Cowles in a state
ment to the San Francisco Chronicle,
says:
hoThis amazing law is the work of
' Senator Bourne, of Oregon, chairman
of the senate committee ON postal mat
{ ters."
I He enumerates eight special obiec.
e tions to the present law as enforced, as
follows:
$ Eight Objections.
5 "First, instead of providing for q
t fat rate of SO much per pound ire
spective of the distance sent, eight con
n centric zones are established around
8 each postoffce in the United States, and
9 different rate is provided for accord
e ing to the zone to which the parcel is
:. to be sent.
l. "'Second, the new law requires the
l. use of special stamps for the parcels
y post system. No other country in the
d world has any such requirement. This
l. is one of the minor details whiel
t. throws unnecessary trouble on the pub
y lie.
# "Third. the system of rates is so in
d tricate and complicated that a persor
who wished to send several package
e would have to spend considerable
e part of the day in the postoffiee whiI'
l. the overworked postal clerks fguret
t. out the rate on such one.
2, "Fourth, the rates are enormously II
it excess of those charged in foreign coun
Ie tries for similar service.
le Fifth, the expense of administering
IS the new service is much greater thar
10 il need have been owing to the com
plicated system of zones and rates. Ev
,r cry one OF 10000 postofiiees throughou
ia the country has to be provided with
ar specially printed map showing the Ia
te cation of the particular zones which al
10 feet that postoiliee, new plates had I
"a be prepared for the unnecessary new :,
y. ries Of stamps, and additional clerk
II. will have to bo employed simply
this complicated law makes inevitable
ly "slxth, parcels must be mailed a
al certain postofiices only,
OF Seventh, the system had been Al
M. to handle strikes, fight price conspi
acies, which he did by building his ow