Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1913-08-02
To EXTEND
PARCEL POST
BurIeSOn Says Changes viii Go
Into Effect on August 18th.
Senate Committee Agreed

pFoEOStu UttNN TtuuctlOfl IN pdFcei pOSt
rates and the increase in the size of
packages to 20 pounds for l50 miles and
less. Postmaster General Burleson has
announced that he would issue the final
orders at once putting the changes in
effect August 18th.
/ The announcement came after the
wisdom Of making the changes had been
subjected to searching review before
the Senate PostofIice Committee in the
presence of the Postmaster General
Chairman Clark. of the lnter-Stat
Commerce Commission. explaining why
the commission had sanctioned the pro-
posed changes. said he believed the
Postmaster-General had ample power
under the law TO make them.
II am convinced that the postoiIice
Department ought to. can and will ex-
tend the parcel post until il will carry
all packages up to 100 pounds. he
added
The sentiment Of large majority Of
/
tee. after Mr.. Burleson and Chairman
Clark had addressed them. was that Mr.
Burleson was within his authority when
he ordered the changes.
The hearing developed opposition from
only two persons Senator Bryan. of
Florida. and Senator Bristow, of Kan
cac Dthar ,,,a,,karc &c tha ,n,n,n;ttaa
particularly Senators Swanson, of Vir-
ginia; Lea, of Tennessee, and Bankhead
of Alabama. strongly backed up Mr..
Burleson. Several Senators. however,
thought Mr.. Burleson had overstepped
his authority in disseminating the dis
tinctive parcel post stamp and making
the ordinary stamp good for parcel post
packages. The committee met again
to further discuss this order.
The statement that ultimately the
parcel post weight limit would be 100
pounds and the Postofiice Department
will be handling all the retail package
business in this country supports state
ments made by Representative David
j. Lewis. of Maryland. the father" Of
the system, in an interview in The Sun
last winter.
In justifving his order Postmaster
General Burleson said before the Sen
ate committee:
81 feel that Congress wanted the
Postmaster General to go ahead and inn
prove the service and not to be con-
tent with standing still. We are going
to make money on the new business
and we will be able to make further
reductions in rates too.
Every important step we take is in
the nature of an experiment. For in
stance. they estimated before the law
went into effect that 300. 900. 900 pack
ages would be handled in year and
now we know they will handle 600. OOO.-
000.''
Mr.. Burleson added that since the in
PRODUCTION of the parcel post the re-
ceipts Of the Chicago Postofiice had m
creased BLOB per cent. the highest
increase in the history of the office. He
said the Government will make 10 cents
profit on 20-pound packages. Senator
Bryan declared there would be loss Of
cents.
Senator Bristow seemed to be peeved
that the Postmaster-Genera did not
consult the Parcel Post Commission,
of which he is chairman, before he an
nounced the changes IN the parcel post
service. He asked Mr.. Burleson what
was the use of Congress appropriating
S25. 900 for the commission for its work
If its cooperation was not wanted by
the Postoflice Department.
Mr.. Burleson objected to the words.
Cooperation not desired. and declared
the postal experts in his department,
together with Representatives Lewis.
of Maryland. and Kindel. of Colorado.
proposed changes. the calculations clear
~ showing that the changes could be
made without loss to the Government.
Chairman Clark. of the Interstate
Commerce Commission, referred to the
protest from the railroads to the order.
He declared that the Interstate Com
merce Commission, in consenting to the
changes, had acted not with the idea of
protecting the express companies and
the railroads. but with giving the pub
lie package transportation system
which would not be hardship on the
public treasury. He declared that if
the railroads and express companies
would suffer that was their lookout.
There will be no public hearings by
the Interstate Commerce Commission
upon the expediency of the changes.
The Commission says it has no jurisdic-
tion over the compensation paid by the
postal service for hauling the mails.