Those who have been appointed to defend the Post-Office Department in the sacrifice it has made of the American people in the matter of postal parcels delivery have replied to the argument in the last issue of The Cosmopolitan by claiming that but very few people will be benefited by a parcels delivery equal to that of Germany. It is therefore necessary to consider this question: “Who are the people who will be benefited?”
First. There will be a gross saving amounting to more than two hundred and fifty millions of dollars per annum. This annual addition to our national wealth constitutes an economic factor of the highest importance.
Second. While this sum will be distributed equally among the people in proportion to their purchases—especially among those who make small purchases—the direct benefit will be first appreciable in the business of the following classes:
I. The Small Storekeepers of the Country Towns and Villages. One of the arguments used by those who have been placed in the Post-Office Department for the protection of special interests, is that a parcels post would injure the country storekeeper. The very slightest consideration of the problem, however, would have shown that no one is so likely to be its beneficiary as he. The chief difficulties with which the small merchant has to contend are these:
1. Insufficient capital.
2. Distance from wholesale centers.
3. Cost of expressage on small parcels.
The country merchant has the acquaintance of his customers; he knows their wants and enjoys their good-will, and would have their patronage if he could be placed in a situation where he could give them equal, or approximately equal, advantages with a merchant who buys on a large scale. If one of his customers is driven to go elsewhere, it is not only because the merchant cannot afford to keep in stock the particular class of goods desired, but because he cannot afford to ship these goods in small quantities, on account of the prohibitive rates of the government’s postal parcels charges of sixteen cents per pound, or the almost equally prohibitive rates of the express companies.
The country storekeeper has the experience of his customer’s wants, and he has a knowledge of the best goods, knows what is a fair price for an article. He is in a position to advise his customer as to his needs, and if he were not handicapped by lack of capital and cost of transportation for parcels, he could, in nine times out of ten, supply the wants of the customer.
In addition to the trade he has now, the country storekeeper would, with the advantage of a first-class postal parcels system, be able to keep in touch with all the great wholesale distributing agencies of the country. He would earn a reasonable commission on all goods ordered, and would be in a position to secure, within a very brief time, by postal parcels, the goods which the customer, after looking over the catalogues and receiving the advice of the merchant, should decide to order.