The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-01-11

The old joke about the mall carrier
delivering the markings OF the Sunday
dinner-even to the fresh meat--is
no longer joke.
The funny men au1 the cartoonists
must now regard the subject with
seriousness. for the parcel post has
reached that stage Of development
that many things are possible.
. The carrying OF fresh meats within
the first two parcel post zones, and the
carrying of liquids. such as mineral
and medicinal waters and buttermiik,
and semiliquids, such as oysters on
rural and local delivery. ia being sue
cessfully done.
Tho postofIlce department now is
carrying the articles which humorists
one time found material for the
things that were printed that they
might earn their living, and of which
the more seriousminded and. perhaps.
more practical. dreamed. The humor-
ist must now change back to the sur
fragette, to new fashions and other
more or less ancient and less practi-
cable subjects. and must abandon the
thing the postoffice department has
made real.
Fine for the Farmer.
No more does the farmer along the
rural route vAinly wish. beg and other
wise try to induce the mail carrier. to
take his can OF milk to town. or to
carry in to his customers in the city
the turkey, duck or chicken. the ham
or shoulder or shote. II these things,
properly packed, wrapped or other
wise enclosed. weigh less than fifty
pounds and their combined length and
girth are not greater than seventy
two inches, the carrier must take them
Int hi uVrA no
into his postoff1ce or postofflce station.
And. as 4 matter OF fact, the car
rier doesn't mind doing it, for he
knows that when the bulk that he car
ries increases, the department will
either shorten his route, which in
many cases Is 30 long that the whole
day Is often taken up before he can
get back to his office, or will provide
him with better vehicle. larger. at
least, and more comfortable, and
probably. faster. Where single horse
now answers the purpose. he will likely
get two. or maybe 1t will be an auto
mobile.
1t was but few years ago that the
postoffice department forbid carriers
on rural routes from carrying any
article not mailed through the postal
system from any point along the route
to any other point. or to the city.
x06T6 WAS q Time Wnen Inc carriers
did these things az favors for their
friends and in some cases they received
pay for so carrying them. The prac-
tice which became general throughout
the country several years ago was pro-
hibited and during the recent years
nothing but actual mail matter has
been carried.
The rural carrier now comes back
to = condition similar. In a way. to
that from which he was forbidden by
the departments order. He will carry
large, bulky articles Of all sorts for
the people along his route, but he will
carry them an mall matter.
How HcnricO Works II.
The operation OF the extension Of
weight limit on parcels In the first
and second zones OF the parcel pest
system, nifty and . hundred and nifty
miles distant from the once Of mali
Ing. respectively. to nifty pounds,
makes 1t possible for the farmer In
Henrico county, - far away from
Richmond A. Cotmans, or Solomons,
beyond WesthAmpton, or ~ far away
a. Drewrys Blum or Curtis Neck ia
Chestsrfleld. to send various farm or
dairy productA Of whatever nature TO
Richmond and beyond.
by sending his buttermilk in Glass
or metal G0ntAiner1, well Grated. hy
pArc9l poos, The farmer Ia the viciutty
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