The Washington herald., 1914-08-24

PLANSUCCEEDs
Washington Way Ahead Of
Other Cities in Parcel
Post Marketing.
INCREASED IS PER CENT
Postmaster Otto Prseser Reports
59,770 Packages Received Between
July l3 and August !.

Washington seems to be way out in
front" of the other cities included In
Postmaster General Burleson's plan TO
introduce the farmer TO the housekeeper
by means Of the parcel post.
In reports received by the Postoffice
Department II is shown that the Post
office authorities have earned for the
plan the familiar title. ''unqualihed sue
cess"
There were ten cities included in Mr..
Burleson's project, Washington, St Louis,
Boston, Baltimore, Atlanta, Birmingham.
San Francisco. Rock Island, ILL.,; Lynn,
Mass, and La Crosse, Wis.
Otto PraeEer Responsible.
other cities, but none in the report OF
Otto Praeger, postmaster for Washing
ton. Most of the cities have done well;
Baltimore is conspicuous in its report Of
lack of appreciation" which is the only
admitted serious drawback to the plan.
What brought out the success In WASH
ington was Postmaster Praeger, a news
paper man and publicity expert, and the
cooperation of employees OF the depart
ma I and OF the Railway Mail Service.
ThS aroused the interest of the con-
sueer and the farmer, and the parties OF
the sSeond part did the rest
Inc SIllpHltHN VI plOuuNA6 DN pal
eel post has been increased 20 per cent
here. Despite the fact that many are out
OF the city for the summer. a count indi-
Gates that 225 parcel post packages are
being received daily by housewives
These all contain farm products. One
hundred and siXty-eight parcels contain
ing perishable food products are being
dispatched daily.
Between July 13 and August l. 59,77O
- Ill
were received in Washington Deliveries
are made twice a day in residential dis
tricts and three times a day in business
sections. In addition. parcels containing
perishable stun are delivered by mounted
carriers in the afternoon and evening un-
til 8 o'clock, and on Sundays until 3
o. clock.
More than $50 farmers have asked to
be placed on the list of producers circu-
lated among citizens Of Washington. OF
these, S34 offered eggs; 176. butter; 1S9,
poultry; 2O2, vegetables and fruit; and
SS, miscellaneous products.
From Jelly to CLANS.
The miscellaneous products INCLUDE jel-
lies, nuts, fish, flowers, vegetable plants,
hams, meats, pickles, seeds, candles lard,
bulbs, homemade cakes, candied fruits,
rose bags, oysters, molasses, corn meal,
honey, horseradish, cheese. maple syrup.
herbs, maple sugar. and little neck CLAIMS.
George NJ. Bowerman, librarian OF the
Public Library, has been a quiet but en-
thuslastic worker for the cause. He
offered to post in the Public Library
lists OF farmers willing to sell produce
by parcel post. The Postofice sends TO
Mr.. Bowerman copies Of all letters from
farmers quoting prices
The Housekeepers' Alliance, too, has
been a factor. in that its members have
taken pleasure in asking housekeepers to
cooperate with the department and
thereby to help reduce prices.
disadvantage of the parcel post in
summer is that highly perishable articles
such as butter and dressed poultry can
not be sent very far in warm weather.
The Department, on learning this, look
ed around and found that cheap con-
tainers may be obtained, devised on the
thermos-bottle principle, which are
thought to be the solution OF the prob
lem.
In the larger postoffices ice boxes are
being installed in which to preserve fresh
such perishable shipments as must be
kept overnight.
The farm-to-home system is not limited
to the ten cities included in the report.
Those. selected as being representative Of
the cities Of the United States, were made
examples Of what may be done by ad-
vertising that method Of exchange.