St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1915-09-29
PRESS COMMENT
Bad Parcel Post Boosting

If all the official boosting of the
parcel post service by the depart
ment at Washington on a par with
the decision of the Treasury to
abandon the express service for the
transfer of gold and bank-notes and
to utilize the parcel post, the pros
porous development of the latter
service is on an insecure foundation.
Bank officials protest against the
new order because the postal service
is less efficient and convenient in its
method of distribution than the ex-
press service to which they have been
accustomed, and as a means of
money saving, the postal service
promises to be effective largely be
cause, and only SO long as, the rail-
roads can be forced to furnish trans
portation for little or nothing.
The express companies estimate
this annual business for the govern
ment at about half million dollars,
of which the railroads have been
paid about half, the service requiring
special car facilities at times. But as
the weighing of the mails for the de-
termination Of the railroads postal
charges only occurs once in four
years, this additional service must be
performed, according to contract, for
nothing until another weighing is
made, and even then the arbitrary
rates which the government pays are
not comparable with the express
earnings. When the treasury, last
October, shipped five million dollars
in gold from Washington to Boston,
it was sent in a thousand cloth bags,
in one hundred and sfxty-seven mail
pouches, and seven special guards
were carried, for all of which there
was no special compensation, a suit
having since been Instituted by the
railroad against the government to
recover.
Parcel post profits secured by such
means are of doubtful value. Sharp
dealings of this sort invite challenge,
not merely on ethical grounds, as a
government standard, but on the
very material ground that they can
not last. The government cannot i'm |
pose coniscatory rates and require |
ments of service even on the rail- |
roads. Suits aggregat.ng eleven mill
lion dollars are now pending against |
the government for underpayment |
for mail service. If any considerable
percentage of these claims shall be |
sustained, there will be a deluge OF /
such actions on the part of the rail-
roads all over the United State, to- }
falling a hundred million dollars or
more. These figures do not repre-
sent actual liabilities, but any par
eel post service which is being Sc
cured for nothing by the growing
practice of squeezing it IN under an
existing contract, is a liability that
will meet It's day of reckoning
Philadelphia Bulletin.
GOvernorship Seeking the Man
The absence of an avowed candi-
late for the republican nomination
or the governorship of Vermont only
L year previous to the time for naming
party candidates is N marked con-
rast to conditions existing in other ]
states as well as to previous condi-
ions IN this commonwealth. 1t will
De refreshing for the Office to have
rec and full opportunity to seek the !
nan unhampered by aspirants on the I
ide lines. In this connection the st. {
Tohnsbury Caledonian says:
There is but one name that we !
lear seriously mentioned for the !
for the next term being !
and that is Horace f. era ,
lam, the present state auditor. We :
10 not know what Mr.. Graham
kinks about it but it is evident the
olks have him in mind and he may
re heard from later"
The fact that nobody knows
whether State Auditor Graham would
,refer promotion or to remain in his
resent responsible position is evil !
lence that he is not building fences
II laying pipe or engaged In any Of
he other varied occupations In the {
lame of which candidates. are often t
'ushed.