The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-12-04
PARCEL POST ROUTES

Chandler of Commerce Renews Ef-
fors to Establish>Routes in Sumter
County. -
Secretary Reardon of the Chamber
Of Commerce has taken up with
Hon. A. F. Lever, chairman Of the
committee on agriculture, the ques-
ton Of having number of motor
truck parcel post services established
in Sumter county. The cooperation
of Postmaster George W. Dick OF this
city has also been requested andSsit
goes without saying. that Postmaster
Dick will be in the fight with bells
on" to help out the Chamber OF
Commerce in this. important matter.
A little more than one year ago
Congressman Lever appointed, Post
master Dick, Postmaster Manton Nc
Cutchen of Bishopyille, and Secretary
E.. I. Reardon, of the Sumter Cham
ber of Commerce as a commission to :
map out a motor truck service be-
tween Sumter and Lee county points.
DR.. Dick and Secretary Reardon spent
several days riding over these two
counties and after. conference with
Postmaster McCutchen agreed on "a
route and submitted their recon-
mendations to. Congressman Lever.
The matter has been hanging fire
ever since, Notwithstanding the fact
that the Sumter Chamber Of Com
merce has been hamnaering away at
Congressman Levers committee room
door for recognition, from time to
time. Congressman Lever has NOT
been asleep either about this matter
and he feels confident that Sumter
county will be in the picture just as
soon as the plans Of the postofhce de-
partment bureau Of rural mail organ-
ization can get around to the Sumter
county servidce. ..;..
Under recent authority granted the
postoffice department the parcels post
motor truck service law has been
greatly amended ard amplifled as
well as made much more practicable
in as much as the organization ana
business management Of the service,
collection, distribution and the sale or
farm products will be largely under
the supervision Of the farmers and
the communities to be served. with Q
paid community secretary to look at
ter the management Of the business.
Another important feature OF the.
amplified and improved service Will
be that it is to be made part OF the
educational system of the counties and
communities it serves There will be
positive systenatized daily markets
for all the products Of the home
demonstration, canning and tomato
clubs, and every perishable farm pro-
duct through this systematized par
eel post service. It Will induce men.
women, boys and girls to plant and
preserve more foods, and to go into
the poultry and egg business on a
much larger scale than heretofore:
The rural and city school houses
and principals Of rural and city
schools will be utilized as well as the
home and farm demonstration agents,
as will be county superintendenrs OF
education to educate and to organize
the farmers and the housewives as to
how to prepare perisnable food pro-
ducts for intelligent marketing. All
middle men" profits are to be elimf-
mated and the consumer and the
farmer are to be the sole bene-
ficaries.
Secretary Reardon took one more
long distance rap at Congressman Lee
ver's palatial committee on agr1cul-
ture rooms, by wire yesterday in hopes
of awakening our popular congress
man and getting him to get the post
office department busy believing that
Sumter county is one Of the most inn
portant, and If possible for Congress
man Lever to make Postmaster Gen.
eral Burleson think that Sumter coun-
ty is the most important county in the
United States. If Postmaster General
Burleson believes one-half Of what
Postmaster Dick and Secretary Rear
don wrote about Sumter and Sumter
county in their recommendation oil
the proposed motor truck service last
year, why he won't need much infor-
nation from Congressman Lever any
how
Just as soon as Congressman Lever
notifies the Chamber of Commerce
that there will be something doing
for the Sumter county parcels post
motor truck service, Farm Demonstrs.-
tor ]. Frank Williams. County Su-
perintendent of Education J. II.
Haynsworth, and Misses Keels and
Martin, our home demonstration
agents. and all of their home demon
stration, domestic science, canning
and tomato clubs, and the rural and
city schools and their principals and
the farmers and their better halves
the housewives, will be called fcto
session at the school houses and the