University Missourian., 1915-08-10
SOME OTHER REASONS WHY
MAH DEL/VERY/SX KEPT UP

I'm an interview with Postmaster
General Burleson, the United Press,
through Lowell Mellett, staff cores
pondent, obtained an insight into some
of the problems that come up in the
course of the work Yesterday the
re-arrangement of the rural free de-
livery was explained-
Mr.. Burleson was asked:
What of your fight with the rail-
roads?"
81 wouldn't call it fight"
ITO an innocent newspaper reader
it looks"
mo. it isn't fight. The question of
railway mail pay is purely and solely
a business question, to be decided on
its merits after thorough sitting, de-
liberation and analysis of the facts.
The department desires to pay rate
reasonably compensatory to the rail-
roads, taking into consideration all Of
the conditions of the service. Mails
are not commodity of commerce, and
hence the question of whether diff
/ ferent yardstick should be applied to
them is a debatable one. | have al
ways. held that while the mails may
not be a commodity of commerce.
transportation undoubtedly is; and
that when the POstoffice needs trans
portation il should pay fair price for
/ it.
However, the department is entit
| led to the lowest rate consistent with
the business equities of the case. High
cost articles of commerce which move
in small volume and in the exchange
of which large margin of profit is
/ involved bear high transportation
charges. The mails move in large vol
ume, are easily handled, impose little
risk on the carrier and constitute
traffic into which the element of profit
does not enter at all. To pay the roads
more than a reasonable compensation
on the basis. l have indicated would
amount to levying an indirect tax
upon the general public for the bene-
fit of private interest.
"A painstaking and thorough inves-
| tigation has been made, running over
long period of time. The tests of
reasonableness have been completed.
both as to the rates and the methods
of adjusting pay, and the results have
fully justified the postal authorities in
resisting the claims of the railroads.
"The Government as a shipper of
parcel post, should not be required to
pay more than is charged other ship
pers for substantially the same serv-
ice There have been many instances
where the railroads have carried the
same matter both as express and as
mail and have charged almost double
for it as mail. Why should it cost the
railroads any more to haul given
package because it carries the govern
ment label? How does an express
company's label reduce the expense
to the railrOad?"
There being no apparent answer to
this, the Postmaster General was ask
ed what the next step would be.
Largely because of the opposition
to the railway mail section. the entire
post office appropriation bill was de-
feated in the Senate last winter and
the whole question went over to the
coming Congress-" he said Needless
to say, shall renew my recommenda-
ton on the subject If the railroads
are successful in their campaign for
more pay, it will seriously hamper the
proper development of the parcel
post"
This brought us right up to the
Postmaster Generals favorite topic.
He admitted he had taken more pleas
ure from the opportunity to build up
the parcel post system than from
and other branch of his work. 1t is
apparent, he said, that the public ap-
preciates the new service and wants
it developed to its maximum.
Notwithstanding the business de-
preston caused by the war;" said Mr..
Burleson, 1.-The flow of parcel mail has
steadily increased. An enormous traf-
fic has come into being in little more
than two years.
THE parcel post knits our country
more closely together. 1t is the farm
er's sole express facility; the farmer
buys, and to some extent now, sells by
mail. The Farm-to-Table adjunct of
the parcel post offers the city house
holder the means of obtaining better
farm produce at lower prices. and pro-
vides many farmers with a new and
lucrative market.
"Here'S something Won NAV not