The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1916-12-30

with the parcel post. We have pub
lished list of farmers that desired
to sell by parcel post. At first the
farmers were eager to have their
names enrolled. The list has been
dwindling fast. This can be taken to
mean nothing else than that parcel
post relations as between producer
and consumer are not satisfactory to
the farmer"
The objection to the parcel post
idea is not confined to the consumer
by any manner of means. Talks with
farmers elicit the general information
that, except in few individual in
stances, it will not work. In the first
place, the rural districts are not as
isolated as in years gone by. The
telephone, the telegraph. the trolley
and the automobile have made sub
urbs of the country districts. The far
mer reads his morning paper just like
the merchant and the professional
man. With eggs selling in the stores
of Baltimore at Otto 60 cents, the
farmer can get from the buyers for
the middlemen about 80 cents. This
is at no trouble to him. A buyer in
the city expects him to sell for about
40 to AZ cents. For this extra four or
five cents the farmers must furnish
a container, pack the eggs, take them
respondence. Frankly, they state, it
is not worth it.
There are many other problems en-
tering into the question from his
point of view. There is the dead
beat" to be taken into consideration.
This practically places lie parcel
post trade upon cash basis, which
protects the farmer. but gives no pro-
lection to the consumer. 1t also cuts
out trade between the producer and
the great bulk of the city's workers,
who do not have the cash necessary to
buy in this manner.
From the farmers standpoint, the
city people expect too much for their
money and are too hard to please.
On the side of the consumer, there
are just as many objections raised.
The housewife declares that by the
time the cost of postage is added to
the prices asked by the average farm
er the saving resulting is so small as
not to be worth the trouble necessary
in dealing in that manner.
Those who have tried it claim that
service is not always prompt. The
question of misrepresentation arises
sooner or later in almost every in
stance and the fear of it keeps a
great many housewives who could and
would use the parcel post from giving
it trial.
Is Cash Proposition.
Perhaps the greatest reason why
the parcel post can never become
universal or of sufficient volume to
act as a deterrent to high prices is
because it must perforce be a cash
proposition. There could be great
saving in the average weekly grocery
bill if housewives would go to the
markets instead of the corner grocery
store. But unfortunately half of the
people of Baltimore are living this
week on the money that they are
going to earn next week. This pre-
Guides them from taking advantage
of cash prices and buying in the
cheapest market. 1t cuts them out of
the parcel post proposition and also
keeps them from the public markets.
Mrs. William j. Brown of the Fort
nightly Club. who is organizing
Housewives League of Maryland, also
brings up another point She says
that the parcel post idea is not feast
BILE in this country for lack of Federal
Standardization and inspection. In
Germany, if a farmer sells you
dozen eggs and three of them are
asst the age when they can be of ser
vice to mankind. there is law that
ii cover the point and cover it quick
ly. If half the eggs you get from
your grocer or the farmer through
the post are bad, you have no redress
except to stop dealing with him.