Newspaper Page Text
y ’ l +> • _#4Tfc c t r L
I Remedy. J '••'&■■ ' < V Jj| Vs- * ▼
I We wish to thank every one of our custodiers for their help in making the year 1912 the larged for]
I us and we assure you that we appreciate it. We also beg to ask that you favor us with as much of
your business as you can in 1913 and we assure you that we will take care of you in every manner
possible. Wishing you a Merry Xmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year.
Garrett Brothers Company.
FIXING RATES
UNDER PARCEL
POST SYSTEM
Government Goes Into Business
of Transmitting Merchandise
Through the Mails.
NEW LAW FULLY EXPLAINED
Country Divided Into Zones and
Units for Purpose of Fixing Charges
for Carriage—No Package Weigh
ing More Than Eleven Pounds Is
Mailable —Anything Properly Wrap
ped Which Will Not Injure Other
Mail May Be Sent.
By EDWARD B. CLARK.
With the coming of the New Year
the United States government will en
ter into a now field of enterprise—
the transmittal of merchandise by
what is known as the parcel post.
For years there has been a demand
for such a system of inexpensive
transmittal of packages. The camps
of favor and disfavor of the parcel
j>ost scheme have been about equally
divided Finally at the last session
of congress a bill was passed which
•will put the plan into operation, but !
only It must be said In little more |
than an experimental way
it Is the intention of Uncle Sam to!
move rather slowly in the parcel post I
matter. He wants to find how popu-1
lar it will be, how much it will cost
the government, and whether there Is
to be a profit or loss at the end of ■
each year. If it Is found that the
plan is successful from the point of
view of the people, which means the
government also, the parcel post will
be extended until finally it reaches
the proportions which its proponents
say they believe it is destined to sue
nume
Zone System Explained.
It Is no exaggeration to say that
thousands upon thousands of inquir
ies have txwn made of the postmaster
general as to Just what the parcel
post will mean to the people. It was
the law congress establishing the
svstem which made provision for a
division of the country into zones
and Into 35.000 units which arc to bo
used as centers in describing the cir
cles which mark the boundaries of
the zones. There has bwn no clear
understanding, apparently, of this
■one system, but nuitly it is a very
simple matter
The accompanying map .shows the
country divided into zones from the
unit In which Washington is sit
uated. an the center Accompanying
the map is n table showing the rate
of postage per pound for parcels from
Washington to places within all the
zones.
Each unit contains an are* thirty
miles square. Now each unit is a
center from which the sones are
drawn and so every unit in the coun
try no matter where It is situated will
have zones drawn from it Just exactly
as Washington has them drawn from
it For instance, take Keokuk. la..
which is in a unit in the fifth zone.
From that will be drawn circles ex
actly as they are drawn from Wash
ington and they will be numbered from
Keokuk as number one. Just as they
are numbered from Washington as
number one. Os course, however.
Zone Six will have a different geo- ■
graphical position as related to Keo
kuk than it has as related to Wash
ington. but as the radius of the circles
drawn front Keokuk is the same
length as the radius of the circles
drawn from Washington. Keokuk’s
Zone Six will be just as far from its
center as Washington’s Zone Six is.
Hew Rates Are Fixed.
It can be seen front this readily
enough that the postal rates from
Washington to its particular zone will
be the same as the postal rates from
Keokuk to its particular zones. Each
unit being about thirty miles square
will of course contain in most cases a
number of postoftices. but each office
tn the same unit is considered as be
ing 'he center of »be circles front
RATES OF POSTAGE
Parcels weighing four ounces or less are mailable at the rate
of one cent for each ounce or fraction of an ounce, regardless of
distance. Parcels weighing more than four ounces are mailable
at the pound rate,as shown by the following table, and when mailed
at this rate any fraction of a pound is considered a full pound.
♦lst zone 2d 3d 4th sth 6th 7th Bth
Wt. Local Zone zone zone zone zone zone zone zone
Lbs. rate. rate. rate. rate, rate rate rate rate rate
1.. $035 $0.05 $0.06 $0.07 SO.OB $0.09 SO.IO sO.ll $0.12
2.. .06 .08 .10 .12 .14 .16 .19 .21 .24
3.. .07 .11 .14 .17 .20 .23 .28 .31 36
4.. .08 .14 .18 .22 .26 .30 .37 .41 .48
5.. 39 .17 32 ' .27 32 37 .46 .51 30
6.. .10 .20 .26 .32 38 .44 35 .61 .72
7._. .11 .23 .30 .37 .44 31 .64 .71 34
8.. .12 .26 .34 .42 .50 .58 .73 .81 .96
9.. .13 .29 .38 .47 36 .65 32 .91 1.08
10.. .14 .32 .42 32 .62 .72 .91 1.01 1.20
11.. .15 .35 .46 37 .68 .79 1.00 1.11 132
♦For a full explanation of the rates of postage in the First
Zone see the Parcel Post Guide.
which the zones are drawn. The
rates of postage are fixed from the
unit In which the sending postoffice is
situated, but the price to every place
in any zone is Just the same. To Il
lustrate, it will cost exactly the same
amount to send a parcel from Wash- '
tngton to Erie, Pa., that It costs to
send it to Atlanta, Ga,, because Erie
and Atlanta with reference to Wash
ington are situated in the fourth
zona. The rates therefore are fixed
from the unit in which the postoffice
is located, but they are the same
from that office to any point in any
one zone.
It will be seen by reference to the
table of rates of postage that it will
cost more per pound to send a pack
age a long distance than It does to
send it a short distance. The rate In
creases for a package weighing one
pound at the rate of one cent for
each zone. No package weighing
more than 11 pounds can be sent-un- !
der the new parcel post law. It !
should be said right here that on the
long hauls the parcel post may not i
be able to compete with the express .
companies, but that on shorter hauls j
it can so compete. It was the ex |
pressed desire of the legislators and
of the postoflice officials that the par
cel [Kist system should be made of
particular use to persons having farm
and factory products to transmit to |
customers It Is probable that pro
ducers must study the rates of post j
age and the convenience of trans- j
mfttal and compare them with the ;
cost and convenience under present |
methods before individually a man can
deter? line whether he is to profit or
not by the change. Then there is an
other thing to be considered and ;
which only can be known definitely
when fuller regulations have been !
made to specify exactly what kind of 1
things can be sent by parcel post. It i
can be said tn a general way that any
thing can be sent which is property ’
wrapped and which will not injure
other mall matter with which it may ■
come in contact.
Copy Foreign Countries.
It is probable that the government
will adopt a means of transportation
for certain kinds of its merchandise |
much like those which have been
adopted in parcel post countries ‘
abroad What the English call ham
pers, basket like arrangements, prob
ably will be adopted, and as these can
be kept separate from the ordinary :
mail matter it Is believed that the ;
regulations as finally adopt'd will al
low the sending of eggs, butter, dress-1
ed poultry, live poultry, honey, fruit,
and other pnxiucts of the country.
The 11-pound limit for a single pack
age may work at first against any
very extended use of the parcel poet
for some of the articles which have
been named. Os course, more weight
can be sent if It Is sent in different
parcels, but the cost tn that case
would be heavier because the in
crease per pound on a single package
is not great up to 11 pounds, and
probably it would Increase at no great
er rat> if the government were to
raise the limit of weight which is now
fixed To make it simpler. It will
cost more to send two packages of 11
pounds than it would to send one
package of 22 pounds if the govern j
ment eventually should aßow a heart.
er single package to be carried and
should charge In proportion just what
it does now for one package of 11
pounds weight.
Every postmaster In the United
States will have a parcel post map
like the one which is here reproduced
except that the zone lines will be
shown with the unit of his postoffice
as a center. All that a postmaster
will have to do when a parcel is pre
sented for transportation Is to find
out in what zone the destination of
the package lies. His table will show
him instantly the rate per pound from
the unit In which his postoffice lies
to the zone of the package’s destina
tions, the price as has been explained
before, to every postoffice in any one
zone being the same. The parcel post
will take nothing but fourth-class mat
ter. Printed matter is still In the
third-class designation. Therefore
books cannot be sent by the parcel
post system. This the postoffice au
thorities seem to think is in away
unjust and may work a hardship. It
may be that In the future the law will
be changed so as to Include all print
ed matter. It seems to be certain that
an attempt will be made to bring
about this change as speedily as pos
sible.
Must Bear Stamp.
Postmaster General Hitchcock has
ordered that postmasters be advised
that parcel post packages cannot be
accepted for mailing unless they bear
a distinctive parcel post stamp and
have attached to them the return card
of the sender. A series of distinctive
stamps is now in course of prepara
tion for this class of mail as required
by the law creating the parcel post
system. Consignments of these
stamps will be ready for shipment to
all poetoffices in ample time for the
establishment of the new system on
New Year’s day.
The postoffice department has given
instruction to every postmaster in the
country to enlighten his patrons as
much as possible on the general sub
ject of the parcel post and especially
on the use of the special stamps and
the necessary attachment of the re
turn card. The law requires that all
fourth-class matter mailed s.ier Jan
uary 1, 1913, without parcel post
stamps attached shall be treated as
"Held for postage” matter Parcel
post packages will be mailable only
at poetoffices, branch postoffices, let
tered and local named stations, and
such numbered stations as may be
designated by the postmasters.
It has been announced by Postmas
ter General Hitchcock that nearly 70,-
000 scales will be required for use in
the parcel post system which is to go
into effect January Ist He has ac
cordingly authorized the Issuance of
bids for that number. Two hundred
of the largest postoffices and their
branches will be supplied with auto
matic springless scales. The next
class of offices, numbering about 10.-
000. will be given high grade beam
scale, while the four class offices,
numbering about 55.000. will be fur
nished with the best spring balances
obtainable, each having a capacity for
twenty pounds. These scales will be
used by postmasters to determine the
amount of postage required on parcel
post packages The fact that many
of tiie postoSces of the country are
now furnished with scales of a limited
capacity makes it necessary for the
postmaster general to make this very
large purchase of scales capable of
taking care of the parcel post busi
ness. It is understood that this will
be the largest single order ever placed
for scales.
Rate on Seeds Not Affected.
It should be said that the act of
congress which puts a parcel post plan
into operation does not in any way
affect the postage rate on seeds, cut- I
tings, bulbs, roots, scions and plants :
as fixed by section 482 of the postal
laws and regulations.
The classification of articles mail
! able as well as the weight limit, the
rates of postage, zone or zones and
other conditions of mailabllity under
the act of congress, if the postmaster
general shall find on experience ‘‘that
they or any of them are such as to
prevent the shipment of articles de
sirable, or shall permanently render :
the cost of the service greater than I
the receipts of the revenue therefrom, j
he is hereby authorized, subject to the i
consent of the interstate commerce I
commission after investigation, to re- ;
form from time to time such class iff- ,
cation, weight limit, rates, zone or
zones or conditions, in order to pro- !
mote the service to the public or to '
insure the receipt of revenue from
such service adequate to pay the cost
thereof.”
Through many years different mem- I
bers of the house and senate have :
been Interested in promoting parcel
post legislation. Among the men most i
active in securing the legislation '
which soon is to go into effect as I
law are Senator Jonathan Bourne of
Oregon. Representatives David J.
Irf'wis of Maryland and William Sul
zer of New York, who has Just been
elected governor of that state.
To ascertain conditions surrounding j
the establishment of the parcel post I
system in places differing widely in j
size, climate and Industries. Postmaa- :
ter General Hitchcock recently sum
moned to Washington, to confer with
the special parcel post committee, the
postmasters of five typical offices.
They are William H. Davis. Pittsburg,
Pa.; Daniel T. Gorow, Jacksonville,
Fla.; M. H. Joster, Wilmington, Del.;
E. M. C. Quimby, Suffolk, Va., and
Henry N. Bradley, Charlestown W.
Va.
Confer With Postmasters.
The postmasters of the five largest
offices in the country have already
appeared before the committee, so
Pittsburg was represented as being a
large first class office, though smaller
than any of the greater five, and as
being the center of a tremendous man
ufacturing area. The postmaster of
Pittsburg reported that the board of
trade of that city has a special parcel
post committee, working toward
bringing the consumer and producer
nearer to each other by the new sys
tem. He also said that many of the
merchants are planning to have their
city deliveries made by parcel post.
Wilmington, Del., represented a
large farming and manufacturing dis
trict with its mail connections close
with Philadelphia, one of the largest
offices. Jacksonville is the largest of
fice in Florida, and the outlet for all
the mail of the state. It is peculiar
in having a special increase of force
in winter, the tourist season, and the
postmaster said that it was expected
that travelers would use the parcel
post extensively in sending home five
and ten-pound packages of fruit
Suffolk. Va. and Charlestown. W.
Va.. are both very small second class
offices, one in the tide-water district,
with large truck interests; the other
far inland in an orchard country, with
diversified farm products. The post
masters of both offices reported great
interest in the parcel post and said
that they had continual inquiries re
garding Its scope.
From these postmasters the com
mittee was able to clean a great
amount of valuable information,
which, added to that gained from the
recent hearings in Maryland, puts it
tn a position to plan the details of the
service to the greatest advantage of
the producing farmer
Give Him Time.
"You’re a pretty old man to be beg
gin’,” said the lady to the man at the
back door.
“Yes. ma'am,” replied the man with
his hat in his hand.
“Have you been begging all your
lifeT’
"Not rtL ma'am/'
H. D. MALLICOAT
Dealer In
I Fresh Meats
I Tobacco and Cigars.
| H. D. MALLICOAT
/ Summerville
| Glad News I
I Just a few more days and that season
I will come when all young and old will see
the joyous time of the year. Friends will
B greet friends a Merry Christmas.
While you are thinking of the hearts
I you wish to make glad remember we are
I prepared to meet many demands in an ap-
propriate gift. Come to see us. What’s
more appropriate for a Christmas gift than
Jewelry, Watches, Clocks, Diamonds,
I China, Cut Glass, Silverware.
I MURPHY & HENDERSON
Summerville, Ga.
au»gwnwt i riif* mw —i i w mi ini ”n, nn —m— s——i
Cleveland has more telephones r— ——
a thousand of population than any
of the other large cities of the J
United States. ODOQDOD
Dr. Wm. Sadler of ‘‘The Cause and VALUE
Cure of Colds,” says that common ft of well-printed
colds should be taken seriously, es- S neat-appearing
pecially when they ‘hang on.’ Foley’s stationery as a
Honey and Tar Compound is a relie mee ns of fl and
ble household medicine for coughs L_lJ: J • u l •
and colds, equally effective for chil- ” Ling desirable busi
dren and for grown persons. Take " esf has been amply
it when you feel a cold coming on. i demonstrated. Consult
It will avert danger of serious results . US before going
and cure quickly. No harmful drugs, i elsewhere
For sale by all dealers. I - -
y
From Spruce wood pulp a French! .——..—..—..—._
inventor has made a fabric resent- I—II—II—IL—II 11 JLJ
bling cotton and equally capable -
of bleaching and dyeing.
■’GONE!
just on® Grry's Headache Pou der,
== 3 fifes oj water and Iwg minutes
l s L cure the most stdiitwi’n am?
Qen e-racking headache yoa ever Lad.
There is nothing in Cnrri's Headache Powders to =====
. Fasten an > habit upon you; a siaiplc and st»rec?’rc ~~
headaches and neuralgL. hatisaiL Give it a trml ~
o’’-. iiv X. \ Powders—s Doses—s Cures—lD Cents ~
X'VaA J | For Sale by all Drugeists —■
’ MAJfUFACtURED BY >
f CURRY-ARRINGTON CO. ROME GA. M