Middletown transcript., 1914-05-02
WOULD HELP THE FARMERS
Postmaster Tells How They Can
Sell to City Consumer

mefS ana Lne nearby farmers into d
rect contact through the use of the pai
eel post has just been taken by Post
master Praeger of the Washington, Z
| c., Post Office. It.consists of preparin
and issing to such farmers, poultryme
and truck growers in Maryland, Vir
ginia, Pennsylvania aud West Virginia
who-live within 100 miles, or two parce
| post zones, from Washington, detaiIel
instructions how to prepare, pack an,
mail their produce for the Washington
trade, and it asks all farmers who desir,
to deal through the parcel post with tn,
Washington consumers to send to tht
Postmaster of Washington their names
and addresses, with a statementof wha
they can furnish by parcel post.
Their names Of producers and wha
they have to offer will then be published
by the Postmaster, for the information
of the Washington public, and thus there
viii be supplied the important link be-
tween those farmers who would like tc
buy direct from the farmers.
In this campaign for wider and more
practical use of the parcel post facilities
the Washington Post Office has the
hearty and effective cooperation of the
Public Library daily, and Librarian
George F., Bowerman volunteered to
aid in this great economic movement
by inviting farmers to send to the Pub
lie Library the prices at which they
would furnish country produce by par
ce. post. These quotations will be
posted on the bulletin board for the in
formation of the thousands of house
wives who go to the Library. On this
subject the circular of the Washington
Post Office to the farmers, says:
'The Post Office Department desires
to increase the usefulness to the public
of the parcel post by bringing the con-
suner and producer in closer touch.
Therefore it invites all farmers who
desire to sell and ship country produce
b parcel post direct to the consumer
to send their names and addresses by
mail to Postmaster, Washington, D.
C.-Produce List. State what you
have to sell. A postal card may be
used for the purpose. When a sufficient
number of names are received they will
be printed and distributed to persons
who would likely make use of such lists.
The Washington Public Library, Mount
Vernon Square, Washington, D. c.,
has announced its willingness to cooper
ate with the farmers and producers in
bringing them in direct touch with the
city consumers, and to this end will
receive and post on the bulletin board in
the Library the prices at which farmers
and others will sell their butter, eggs,
or other produce by parcel post. "
The circular, besides showing the
parcel post rates from one to fifty
pounds, gives much interesting infor-
nation to the farmer about shipping his
produce and showing him various ways
Of using the parcel post. 1t shows, for
instance, that he can send his produce
anywhere within an approximate dis
tance of $50 miles for cents for the
first pound and cent for each addition
al pound Thus, for that distance a
fifty pound package "a cents. From
this it will be quickly seen that within
the first two zones, or a distance of
about $50 miles and less, the rate of
postage on any package can be easily
found by adding four to the number of
pounds. Thus a seveD~pound package |
will be found to cost11 cents; thirteen
pound package II cents, and so on to
package which costs 54
,ents postage.
The circular points out how the far
ner and consumer can use the C. o. D.
eature of the parcel post. If the city
nan has found a satisfactory farmer to
Ieal with and wants leave regular
weekly order, or if he does not know
xactly how much the produce he has
rdered viii cost, he can arrange with
he farmer to have it mailed C. o. D. |
his would cost an extra 10-cents for
which the City Post Office would collect
he sum due the farmer before it de-
vers the package and then send the
1oney to the farmer by tn next mail.
If valuable package is sent, he can
nsure it for cents in addition to the
ostage required and collect the value
f the package should it be lost or des-
royed in the mails.
If there is need of great haste, he
an pay 10 cents in addition to the pos
age for Especial delivery such
ackages are usually within the hands
f the consumer within an hour after
hey reach Washington.
In the dealings between farmers and
he city buyers it will be rarely neees-
ary to use such extra postal services as
re here enumerated, but occasionally
n emergency may arise when the far
ler will want to ins ure a valuable
'ackage OF. send it G. o. D., or rush it
y special delivery.
Here are few Parcel Post Hints
ulled from the instructions in the
Washington circular:
PARCEL POST HINTS
Pack and wrap your parcels securely.
Most of the damage and losses are due
o insecure packing.