The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-03-08
PARCEL POST IS
CALLED MONOPOLY
President Of National Wholesale
Grocers Association AssaiIs
Postal system Now
In Use.
HELP MAIL ORDER HOUSE
Forecasts Industrial Ruin Of Small
Industries, Due to Extensive
Use Of Present
System.

Wholesalers OF the city are in re-
Oscar B. McGlasson, president of the
ton before the National Gamers as
ago, in which he called upon the
,dustrial interests of the United States
to unite in strong protest against
the governments further participa-
gigantic trust composed OF mail order
houses and which will Eventually
mean the ruination OF the small bust
was possible for legitimate business
to compete with the government, es-
pecially when one Of it's most import
SD, 100000 a yeas or $S00,00O,00O be-
tween 1866 and 1918.
Means a Monopoly.
The present parcel post plan will
centralize commercial endeavor into
the mail order houses and will create
the greatest monopolies the world has
ever KNOWN" said Mr.. McGlasson. 1T
has required many years to build our
country up to its high commercial and
industrial position and to lose this
prestige in the worlds business with
out Protest is not expected. We all
know that it is not economy to CEN
tralize the business Of the country in
to the hands of few concerns and
thereby build up a monopoly of the
channels of distribution.
This is what the parcel post is do
ing and the oil, steel or tobacco trusts
will soon be pygmies compared with
the mail order trusts, with the United
States as chief partner and no share
in the profits. II the business men Of
the country sit tdly by Offering no
criticism, no Intervention, the post
office department will continue this
ruinous plan, irrespective OF the aggre-
igate cost to the business interests OF
this nation. A strong protest by the
combined business, banking and indus
trial interests of the United States
should be presented in some forcible,
decided way to the authorities at
Washington.
"Of what good will the ship sub
sidy law be if the trade between the
states Is handicapped and eventually
killed by the governments building
up through it's parcel post, that great
monster, which is gradually, but GER
tainly, sapping the life blood of bust
ness-the mail order institutions"
Depression Due to It.
I'm spite of the laws that have
been. or may be, enacted at Washing
ton, the business depression Of 1911
can not and will not be improved, I'M
less some one will give the postmaster
general jolt that will awaken him
from this parcel post dream of the
performing the functions
of retailer and wholesaler, by carry
ing products from the producer to the
consumer.
"If wholesale grocer could get free
rent, have the railroads carry his
goods for one-half what his competi-
tors pay-he would have beautiful
monopoly, as he would soon have no
competition. This is what the parcel
post is now handing to the mail order
houses, and how can you expect mer-
chants to compete with them when so
Handicapped?
Business should quietly and firm
ly insist upon change.
Upon the welfare Of these 100000
merchants is dependent the business
Of thousands of ENTHUSIASTICALLY
dependent upon the results flowing
from the prosperity Of the merchan-
dising business through the country
for their employment and their liveli-
hood.
ut is apparent that the parcel post
will serve as a boomerange to the
farmer, for whose especial benefit the
service was intended, by depreciating
the value Of his land-robbing the
community of schools, churches, hos
pitfalls and driving even doctors, law
yers and bankers to the great central
market