The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1915-04-01
FRIEND OF THE MAIL.oRDER
HOUSE.


HOUSE.
Making the Parcel Post ridiculous"
would be suitable title for a report
submitted to congress by Senator Bris-
tow. OF Kansas, in which he explains
In considerable detail how Postmaster
General Burleson, largely by exceeding
his authority, has reduced the efficiency
OF the parcel post. Mr.. Burleson has
upset and made ludicrous the schedule
OF rates. and made the parcel post
more an adjunct OF the mall order
houses Of the country than a boon to
the farmers or benefit to the
city man hoping to reduce the cost Of
living by this means OF transportation,
Senator Brtstow was made chairman
OF a joint senate and house commit
tee to investigate the parcel post and
the report recently made 10 a severe
arraignment Of the administration Of
the parcel post service under the d.
rection of MIR. Burleson. Some OF the
discoveries made by the committee are
startling. For instance, out of 37.735
postoffices that submitted reports on
the parcel post. only ss7 reported out
going porcel post business in excess
Of their Incoming business. More than
9S per cent of the offices received
more parcel post matter than they
sent.
1t was found that 4s.145, 500 Of IT,
639,521 parcels handled In given
six weeks throughout the United States
We're sent from New York City and
Chicago. the homes OF the big mail
order houses. While New York dis
patched, in that period, 20. sos, 4S9 par
cells. 1t received only 1896, 453 parcels,
and In Chicago the percentage was
about the same 1.-THE tremendous
amount of merchandise sent out by the
mail order houses OF those cities is, of
course, the explanation OF this condi-
ton" says the Bristow report. 1t
continues:
The amount, moreover, Of the par
Gel post business which originated
in these two offices Is greatly in
excess Of that shown by the re-
port of the postmasters because
large houses In these cities ship
by freight their catalogues and
great quantities Of their merchan-
disc to many distributing centers
where the packages are distributed
through the mail by the smaller
offices.
From the best information the
committee has been able to OBJ
tain, 1t Is convinced that the prac-
tice of sending by freight for dis
tributton in the short zones by
mail, and the greatly reduced rates
which these maii-order concerns
have obtained by the changing of
the classification OF their catalogues
from THIRD class to fourth class.
have resulted in a loss to the gov
eminent OF many millions per an
mum. The committee has conclusive
evidence that one firm alone has
saved postage aggregating approx
mately 100000 per annum by this
change
March 16, 1914. Prior thereto tn
rate on books was 1 cent for each tw
ounces. The Postmaster General, oil
the date named. stipulated that par
GELS OF books weighing more thai
eight ounces should take the estab
iished parcel-post rates. Thus. undo
that order an eight-ounce package o
books is carried from New York I
San Francisco for 4 cents, while
nine-ounce package costs 10 cents;
six-ounce package is carried for
cents.
Bearing these figures in mind, tn
committee points out that the order Q
the Postmaster General of Januar
81, 1914, changes the third-class rate
ais fixed by law and admits TO the par
eel post miscellaneous printed matte
in packages Weighing more than fou
pounds. but retains within the thir
class with the third-class rate of tw
ounces for cent all such printed mat
ter in packages weighing not NOR
than four pounds. AS result Of TIL
order a package OF miscellaneous print
-
be shipped from Washington, ID. c., I
Norfolk. Va. $50 miles. for so cents
II one ounce Is added TO the weight Q
the package. the rate drops to
cents.
Continuing the report says:
No other change made by the de-
partmental order has been so in
equitable as the one which practi-
cally merges the first and second
zones. Its effect Is TO benefit es-
pecially the mail-order houses by
giving them an undue advantage
over the local dealers in transpor-
tatton expense. Under the zone
system now in effect a mail-ord
house can establish branch ag-
ency In the territory which the
concern seeks to reach, and within
distance of $50 miles from the To-
cation OF such agency, the maii-or-
der house gets exactly the same
rate as the government charges
the local merchant. who ships on
ly few miles. notwithstanding the
marked difference In the cost OF
the transportation service render
ed. The government aids the
mail-order house by giving .hdm
greater service without charging
him q oorra uaanndfnp graatesr fee
Thds review of the Bristow repo
only touches a few items OF malat
minastration charged up against II
present administration OF the Pos
: office department, Mr.. Burleson, ;
arbitrary orders. has overturned SON
of the most essential features of II
parcel post law. and has made 1t a
unbusinesshke affair. whereas the la
Left Il on sound basis. and. one tbs