Evening star., 1914-03-22

to the shop, which receives the order, and
through the mail her parcel will be delivered
within six hours. In this way she is not
obliged to make the long trip downtown.
In emergencies this is time saver for the
kitchen; although the greatest advantage
is the possibility of the housewives dealing
directly with her farmer friend-the much
abused producer-and obtaining an order
in day or overnight. 1t saves trip to the
big markets, especially when only limited
quantity of stuff is wanted; say head of
lettuce or spring chicken. There are hun
dreds of such producers within reach of the
parcel post, whether it be overnight or a
few miles away.
TT has even been used, in Washington,
1 D. c., by bachelor who was very critical
of the laundry work he required. He was
especially jealous of fine silk shirts, which
were washed by a trustworthy laundress
living in the extreme northeastern section
of the capital, four miles from his residence
near Sheridan Circle. Suddenly obliged to
90 away, he mailed his linen to the laundress,
who returned it to him the next evening by
parcel post No letters, no telephone mess
ages, no instructions! She knew that when
ever he sent odd pieces that way he required
lIltlIl DdCh dJ OllSC, dlld Will Illio uildSi-
standing the parcel post filled the gap and
she did not have to lose minutes time. In
a Western town an enterprising laundry has
this sign, "Our delivery service under the
supervision and direction of the United
States government" 1t uses the parcel
post.
Although the department is not ready to
recommend countrywide adoption of the
custom of sending babies by parcel post,
such thing has been done. Little Janet
SAWS, who weighs forty and a half pounds,
was posted" at Pine Hollow, at cost of
forty-five cents. She went by wagon, parcel
post, fully tagged and stamped.
In Kansas, Mrs. E. H. Staley, of Yelling
ton, received her two-year-old nephew by
parcel post from his grandmother, at STRAIT
ford, Oklahoma, where the tot had been lett
for visit three weeks previously. The boy
wore tag about his neck, showing it had
cost eighteen cents to send him through the
mails. He was transported twenty-five
miles by rural route before reaching the rail-
his lunch with them,-or theirs was shared
by him,-and arrived in good condition.
Occasionally there arises puzzling ques-
ton. Motion picture films have been car
ried exclusively by express companies, be-
cause they are inhammable and as such can
not be sent through the mails. At the in
stance of the manager of a motion film pro-
ducing company the department has to pass
upon his contention that motion films must
be transported in the mails because kodak
films are. Inasmuch as both are made of
the same material and in many cases by the
same company, the discrimination is at
tackled Should the department decide that
motion films, in proper containers, are adj
missible to the mails, the postal revenue
will be increased million dollars annually.
PUT, as in everything else, it requires CO.
- operation to bring about the maximum
of efficiency. In this instance we want the
people to make as great use of the parcel
post system as they can; for the prohibitive
regulations are few and simple indeed. They
are easily remembered, almost elemental.
If they act of one accord as partners of
Uncle Sam, Carrier, by doing their part, in
seeing that they comply with the regula-
tions, and properly and adequately protect
the contents of the package, they will find
that the system will work like fine watch.
The system is in its infancy, because it is