Evening journal., 1914-11-14
FARM TO Table PLAN.
IS NOW BIC SUCCESS.
New Postal Provision Would
Be Welcomed in
This City
WOULD REDUCE
COST OF LIVING

Postmaster james J. English is in re-
ceipt of circular from the Postofice
Department Washington, asking him
to cooperate IN making the farm to-
table service OF the parcel post a sue
GEES. le is requested TO forward the
names of farmers who wish to take ad-
vantage of the service Printed slips
containing the names of such farmers
will then be distributed at every house
in the city by the mail carriers
One of the features OF the service
which is counted upon TO make il more
successful, is that at places where ia
is ia use. is that pcrishablo goods is
delivered ON Sunday Produce can be
sent &. o. d.. II is believed by post
Office officials that f the service once
becomes general it viii do much toward
solving the high cost ol living problem
for the city dwcllef.
Officials and Others connected with
the Wilmington postoiiice are watching
with much interest the reports received
from the various parts of the country
showing the results of the "farm-to-
table service" of the postOllice Depart
ment through the parcel post system
inougurated some time ago. Thu SER
vice has proved itself TO be big adj
vantage both to the farmers and their
city customers. Steady increases arc
shown in the number of packages of
foodstuiis that are received daily IN all
OF the cities.
While the parcel post as a medium
of direct exchange of farm pro-
ducts from the farmers to the con-
sumner has not been inaugurated at
the Wilmington posiotiice as yet
there has been a steady growth in
this kind of business. Farmers who
We're at first somewhat slow in the
distribution of their products made
little use of t. However. during the
past summer and fall there has been
a noticeable increase In farm pro-
ducts in general, including all kinds
Of fruits, smoked meats, eggs. veget-
ables and others of the daily necessl-
ties
At first one Of the big obstacles in
the way of the parcel post systems
workings was the laxity i'm wrapping
goods But those who use the service
are gradually getting educated into
the proper methods.
AS an experiment the "farm-to-
table service mas bCen received i'm 10
OF the larger cities throughout the
country designated by the depart
ment and thus far the results have
been most favorable AS Wilmington
is located in a rich farming district
many housewives would, no doubt,
welcome the innovation here in order
to keep down the cost of living and
seize upon Il as a means of secur-
ing the more necessaries of life, such
as butter and eggs. at a lower price
Observations of the experiment
made by the postoiiice department
have developed several objections
First, that a small percentage of the
| shipments were spoiled in transit
second that in some cases the prices
] paid by the consumers were no less
l than the prevailing prices in the city
markets.
The first objection, it is believed,
can easily be removed Boxes for
overnight storage of perishable
goods can be installed in the post
office, and in addition to this precau-
| ton If the farmers will pack their
] goods with greater care the loss by
/ spelling can be reduced to a mini
| mum.
The matter Of prices is more diff
! ficult The "farm-to-table service
was designed for the benefit of the
consumer as much as for the farmer
Unless IL succeeds in reducing the
high cost of living it fails of its
chief object and, of course. would be
abandoned. Every farmer, who has
given any thought to the matter, viii
perceive at once that he is not iusti.
fed in tacking the middleman's profit
on to his own. If this principle Is
kept in mind the service cannot fai
TO be a success here, once il is in
troduced