The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-01-30
MAIL ORDER HOUSES
Profit of Chicago Postoffce Was More
Than Three Million in 1915.

The Chicago postofice made three I
millions of dollars profit for Uncle
sam last year, thanks to the mail
order houses which spent millions for
parcels post. And Chicago has a
bill in congress for an appropriation
of six million dollars for additional
post office room and facilities.
We cannot dodge facts and figures.
When postofiice takes in millions
of dollars for parcels post it means
that the upbuilding Of that post of
fee is at the expense of every COM
munity that receives a single package
from mail order house at that place.
1t means that employment is being
given in that city 10 some at the
expense of our sons and daughters
1t it were possible for one commun-
ity to swear off" from buying away
from home, it would be goodbye
to this menace which is threatening
to destroy small communities and
which is holding others down.
Carter county, by refusing to trade
away from home, would actually add
fifty per cent to its payroll in one
year and when once this can be
demonstrated every other community
in the nation would follow suit
The mail order houses are now try
ing to pass a bill in congress making
it possible for parcels to be sent to
any point in the United States and
at the same rate as they can send it
in Chicago That is to say, they want
the whole nation thrown into one zone
SO that the rate from Chicago post
office to any place in the whole ma
ton is the same as to any street in
! Chicago or New York, etc.
The government is now sending
packages as parcels post at the eX-
pense of the letter postage. If any
record were kept as to the actual
cost of the parcels post system, it
would be seen that it was losing
money. All mail matter is carried
by the railroads at a nominal rate
per pound-just few cents. The
government charges two cents per
ounce for letters,-or thirty-two cents
per pound. The parcels post rate by
zone is, as all know, eight cents
Just what the railroad charges,-for
one thousand miles, plus delivery.
Less distance than that the charge Is
graduated to five cents,-or less than
the railroad charges.
A child can see how manifestly un'
just it would be to carry packages
for five cents per pound any distance
in the United States and child car
see why the mail order houses want
such rates.
Since the advent of parcels posi-
the mail order house doubled It's
dividends. over a hundred and fifty
million dollars worth of business was
done IN JHlCdSO last S'"i' -''
than the whole business in every line
of endeavor in three counties in OK
lahoma and all done by three or foul
houses.
In making an appeal to the bes
Judgment of the people of CarteI
county | speak for every town anl
every merchant in the county. | ap
peal for the coming generation. Shal
we drive our sons and our daughter
away from home to seek positions
And yet that is exactly what we ar
doing when we spend a dollar ava,
from home that we can spend at home
Keep this everlastingly in nina
Every thousand dollars spent at hom
! means a job for somebody and pei
hans for two people. Indirectly
means more than this
And remember also, cities an
towns are no bigger than their bus
ness men. no bigger than their cit
zenship makes them. Towns neV'
[ stand still. They increase or deteri
rate as their people will.
Where there is will there is
way.