Selected Articles on the Parcels Post

by Unknown

In an honest endeavor to arrive at a correct conclusion as to the features of our domestic parcel post we can not do better than to study the parcel post of Australia and New Zealand, for the dominant elements in the population of Australia and New Zealand are the same as in ours, the people of Australia and New Zealand have obtained their ideas of government and the functions of government from the same source that we have, their institutions and conditions approach ours nearer than those of other countries, and they have the same problem of adapting the government service to a wide expanse of territory in the settlement and development of a new country. This problem, though much greater than ours at this time—the area of Australia is nearly the same as that of our states, while the population is only about one-twentieth as much—is the same in its nature.

Another reason is that the postal service of Australia and New Zealand is so satisfactory in every way. On page 25 of “L’Union Postale” for 1909 it is stated in regard to the New Zealand postal service: “The financial results of the administration were very satisfactory. The receipts increased by 9.04 per cent and the expenditure by 7.22 per cent over the preceding year.”

It will be seen that the postal business of New Zealand conforms to the rule of good business management that as a business increases in volume the receipts should increase faster than the expense.

In the last published report of the postmaster-general of New Zealand it is pointed out that notwithstanding several important reductions in the postage rate the revenue of the postal service had during the preceding sixteen years increased by a considerably larger amount than the expense. “From December 16, 1907, the postage on inland post cards was reduced to one-half penny. From January 1, 1908, the rates for inland letters were made 1 penny for the first 4 ounces and one-half penny for each additional 2 ounces. From January 1, 1908, the commission chargeable on money orders within New Zealand is 3 pence for each 5 pounds sterling or fraction of 5 pounds. Owing to the reduction in postal rates made the year before, the number of parcels increased 81.57 per cent.” “The rate of postage for inland parcels was reduced from 6 pence for the first pound and 3 pence for each additional pound to 4 pence for the first pound and 2 pence for each additional pound. The public, moreover, has by the change been induced to send by parcels post articles which were previously forwarded as packets.” “The reduction in postal rates may be practically referred to as having resulted in a great increase in parcels-post business.” There was a handsome net balance to the credit of the postal business. “The net balance on the year’s transactions would be much higher if the value of official correspondence dealt with were taken into account.” “The expansion of the business has necessitated large additions to the staff. The increase of the staff was, however, below the percentage of increase of the receipts. An amendment to the post-office act contributed to improve the financial condition of the postal service.” The experience of New Zealand and the Commonwealth of Australia in postal service is well stated by the colonial treasurer, Hon. Sir J. G. Ward, in one of his recent financial statements, as follows: “Experience has shown that every concession in postal rates creates a new class of business which is ultimately to the profit of the post-office.”

Of course, in the official publications of the Commonwealth of Australia and of New Zealand one hears nothing to the effect that the government should not engage in any competitive business—one hears that only in the United States. If that were put into effect, our national government would be compelled to stop building war ships in the navy-yards, to close up altogether the government printing establishment, to stop at once all its irrigation projects, to close up all the land-grant colleges, to stop at once casting cannon and making small firearms and ammunition, etc. As a matter of fact, when our Constitution was framed there was no question among those that framed it that it should give to the national government the power to do certain things, in competition with private enterprise, that would be for “the public welfare;” and there was never any intimation that the national government should not engage in any competitive business. On the other hand, those that helped to frame the national Constitution and to secure its adoption participated in and sanctioned legislation by Congress that put the national government into several lines of competitive business.

The publications of the labor officials of Australia and New Zealand are decidedly numerous, and show plainly that the working people of these colonies, as well as the other elements of their population, are heartily in favor of a modern parcel post. It may truly be said that the parcel post of Australia and New Zealand has the hearty and universal approval of the people of those colonies. The officials and the rank and file of the labor organizations of these colonies are among the heartiest supporters of their parcel post. And it is certain that the very large majority of the rank and file of our labor organizations and the very large majority of our city people, as well as of farmers, heartily favor a modern parcel post.

As for the relation of a modern parcels post to the so-called catalogue houses: In his official reports the postmaster-general of both Australia and New Zealand frequently emphasizes that for years a thoroughly modern colonial, intercolonial, and foreign parcels post has been enjoyed by the people of those colonies, even in “the most remote districts to which the mail service penetrates.” Notwithstanding this, in all of the many publications on Australia and New Zealand, or by the officials of those colonies, there could not be found a sentence to the effect that the local merchants of those colonies have been in the least injured in their business by catalogue houses.

This fact certainly merits being emphasized. In all the countries in which there is a modern parcels post the catalogue house is unknown. In our country, which is the only enlightened country that has not a modern parcels post, the catalogue house exists and, to some limited extent, flourishes. Hence the fact is plain that instead of a modern parcels post aiding catalogue houses the very opposite is true. If the universal experience of humanity counts for anything, then the antiquated parcels post, such as we have, aids the catalogue house and the modern parcels post puts it out of business and keeps it out of business.

The rural delivery service has grown to more than 20,000 routes. Official reports show that the average weight of mail delivered by each team or single-horse wagon in the rural delivery service is only 25 pounds. On nearly all the trips the carrier could practically as well take 500 pounds in his wagon. The more than 40,000 rural carriers make more than 12,480,000 round trips each year. If a parcels post on the rural routes earned $2 for each round trip the gain would be, in round numbers $25,000,000 a year, and this, with some little reforms that all agree should be and easily could be made, would wipe out the postal deficit. Now, if the rate on the pound packages in a rural route parcels post was 5 cents a pound the carrier to earn the $2 per round trip would be compelled to carry not the 500 pounds that he could, but only 20 pounds additional going and coming or a total load of only 45 pounds.