The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1915-02-20
CAUSE or POSTAL Deficit

ANF NANNhrAou OF ne parce4 post
and its detriment 70 business in put
ting the trade OF the country into the
hands Of the few was the subject OF
an address delivered BY the president
Of the National Wholesale Grooers'
Association. in which he makes some
good points. he Is not opposed TO
the theory. hut il dead set against It's
practice a. carried out under the lax
and haphsEard method now employed.
Under Democratic management he
hnds the deficit caused By the unjust
nesslike method in the Postofiee De-
partment 70 be staggering. quite
large enough" he asserts. to deplete
the Golfers OF a number Of kingdoms
IL II pointed out that the government
permits policies that would prove ru-
nous to any commercial houses. and
Uncle Sam allows himself 10 be par
uceps criminis TO a gigantic trust.
one that will eventually mean the ruin
OF the small business u the nation.
The present parcel post plan will cen
tralize commercial endeavor into the
mail order houses and create the
greatest monopolles the world has
ever known.
There Is no question about the
charge that business methods have
no application in the present manage
ment OF the Postofnce Department.
which at the beginning OF the admin
istration was loudly heralded as self
supporting The present heavy de-
hoit 1t is sroaning under was occa-
stoned by the splurge made in increas.
ing the weight limit of articles and
TIER character. II is true this policy
has affected some reduction in express
rates. and driven one company out
o. business. but while Il was accom-
plishing this work the department has
gone broke itself II Is a besAtiful
example OF the government I'm bust
ness in competition against private
enterprise. and shows just what would
happen should the government enter
the ocean-carrying trade under the
Wilson shipping bill.
The president OF the Wholesale
Grocers' Association shows very
plainly how the present method is
henehting no one largely but the mail
order business. which requires the
Postohice Department to be- run al a
loss and making up that loss by rob-
bling another. What business man can
hope TO cope with such competition.
may well be asked. II Is shown that
every time the postal charges are less
than the amount II actually costs to
carry a package. either long or a
short distance. just TO that extent
are the mail order houses favored
and the small commercial interests
OF the country detrimental The par
Gel post method as now conducted
constitutes an enormous octopus.
nufsed by the government Il quiet.
ly builds up a mail order system at
some great central market. which.
with its many branch houses. is slow.
ly but surely draining the very life
or the little business that means so
much TO the people. Some striking
examples were cited 20 prove the
ridiculous and unjust character OF
present methods. as follows:
The Government Is being robbed under
inc plan OF paying contractors. who
carry parcel post matter. more than H.
received In postage. We are told Of Il
carrier near Los Angeles. Cal. who g.
pad 81 per nfty pounds. and the Gov
eminent receives 81 cents postage. This
gives net profit TO the carrier wher.
ne pays the postage Of 46 cents on every
MY pound package. II seems that this
man bought a ton Of bricks. put them Dr.
lity-yound packages, and as ne received
bonus Of 40 cents on each package.
he soon had enough bricks 10 build a
home free Of cost.
IL e. related that one contractor. who
mas the Star route between HoIhrusk'
and Snowflake. Ariz two small mining
towns OF that state. bought ten thousand
pounds OF barley at Mesa ArIz and
shipped Il By parcel post via Hoibr1ok
70 Snowflake The barley cost him qs
cents per hundred pounds AZ Mesa md
The postage from Mesa 90 Holbru0k WAS
tl-Oh per hundred pounds making th..
barley cost him laid ~ Snow flake 2.0g
per hundred pounds. For Transport ma
the barley from HoIbrook To- snow
ilake, the contractor received 81 gs
per 100 pounds from "a bene flccnt Gov
ernment. Here r. the way the deal
worked out: The barley cost laid down
In Snowflake Just sos. lie received s5as
rom the Gov eminent FOR hauling 10 over
the star route. making the barley cost
MIN nothing and getting f22 clear for
hla trouble IN handling. How about the
merchant who sells barley How ls d..
going 20 compete with n man who aefa
his barley for nothing