The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-01-28
FOR EXPANSION
OF PARCEL POST
BurIeson Is Planning Further I'm
provements In Service

ment for the purpose of enabling the
postmaster general To determine
| whether. and 10 what extent, IL will
be advisable to expand the parcel post
system Two expansions have taken
] place since the service was dnaugurat-
cd, about year ago. and II is general
! ~ assumed that there will be still
/ further expansions as the result, Of the
| inquiry which is To b. put under way
during the late spring months.
In time, il is probable the 100 poun
weight limit will be reached ana the
rates IT postage stlll further reduced.
All these things will depend upon the
business itself If public patronage
of the parcel post. during the present
year, should snow the gains that are
looked for hy conservative men i'm the
postoilico department, then it Will he
necessary to enlarge the weight limit
and reduce the postage rates. Every
thing thus DEFENDS on the. public. II
Isl safe To assume that just as fast as
patronage will Justify il, the posimas-
ter general will act. The examination
If the coming spring is To be made ON
the theory that the BUSINESS has gown
aud if that growth has been sufficient
the 00-pound weigh. limit ana the
further DEDUCTION Of postage will come
about, and perhaps b" made effective
as early us Aug. l.. and possibly ear.
Her than that.
t,f.f,,It a
parcels was increased from eleven To- |
twenty pounds IN the first ana se"onG |
zones and material reductions in post.
age were made in those zones The
expansions were experimental, and If
the results had been unsatisfactory |
there would have been a return To the
old weights and rates But the expert !
ment was a great success, so great |
indeed that there was q slill further
expansion on July ]. oc this year. Nov
comes another investigation and coll
lection Of data, ON the theory that cx-
pansion is to continue.
The expansion effective Jan re.
duced rates i'm the third. fourth, NTH
and sixth zones, extended the twenty
pound rate limit to the remaining
zones, and increased that limit in the
first and second zones from twenty 10
fifty pounds. After these new rates
shall have been i'm operation for three
or four months, the collection of data
above referred 10 viii begin to deter
mine the question OF still further eN-
lansions.
Growth Exceeds Expectations.
The postmaster generals policy IS
not Ia proceed more rapidly than bust
ness conditions warrant lie holds
hat it would he unwisr to create "a
volume of business Greater than the
capacity of the government To handle
{. Every increase OF the weight limit
and every reduction of rates means
additional parcels and that means. in
urn, an increase of governmental IA
,ilities. These facilities must grow "a
'apidly as the business grows and /,
s an important part of the pustmas.
er generals duty t. see that this is
he case.
The growth of the parcel post dur
ng the first fiscal year of it's opera
ion, the fiscal year ending next June
30, viii BE- shown by the official zig
reS To have been very much greater
han the estimates of the department.
Il ana congressional experts; and that
growth is seemingly stil going on
When experts of the department APP
reared before committees of Congress
n support of the parcel post BILL They
stimatcd that the first year cf the
ervicc would show that 400, OOO, 900
'arcels had been carried, and revenues
# $50. 100000 collected.
Thes" estimates Wcro SO much larg-1
r than those of the experts i'm Con- |
rcss that there was "A disposition On
he part of the latter To discredit them
rhe- highest figure IN Congress on I
he item of parcel post revenues for
he 'Grst year was $l70oO,0O0
AS Il matter of fact. however, il is
low known that the business will show
90, zoe. 0O0 parcels to have been ear |
led in the first fiscal year, with rev.
nucs aggregating more than sac. 000,-
90; or almost double the estimates of
he departmental experts
Plan to Cut Cost Of Living.
The latest move of the postmaster
cneral is in the direction of co-opera-
ion with the department of agricul-
ure, with view to briRging the city
consumers into close touch with tho
ural producers.
The government is not yet ready 20 =
nnouncc how il will purpose bringing
his corporation about. but whatever
he details it is said on authority that n
he average city family will he brought a.
lto touch with numerous farmers who Y
re ready to supply them with pro-
uce Of all kinds. The city family will G
q able to arrange prices IN advance 1
nd To receive assurances as 10 quail
~ of goods and regularity of scrv-
20. An arrangement of this kind. put
nto operation in all the cities and n
lrger towns of the United States. ii is
eleved, will reduce tho cost Of living .
D the average city family. and at the !
anne time quite as materially add TO IL
he pHoi,ts of the farmer. III
IL Is also poSSiblp that tho pnrroI