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Show ABOUT THE PARCELS POST. On at least two occasions every citizen in America is on an equal footing when he votes and when he buys postage stamps. In the first instance no man can legally cast more than one vote, regardless of his wealth, place or position, and in the second place no man no matter what his business or financial rating may be, can buy a postage si amp for a less amount than the humblest citizen has to pa'. The post office is the best managed government institution wc have, it is also one of the most vitally important to the people. We could dispense with a number of other departments without suffering suffer-ing any marked inconvenience. For" instance many of our office holders could vacate their offices without being greatly missed by the people. At least one-half of our standing army and navy could be discharged dis-charged and unless the public press made a great fuss about it the people would not know that anything unusual had happened. But let any noticeable lfumber of postal employes miss performing perform-ing their usual duties and there would instantly arise such a storm of protest and complaint that you would think the government had been completely demoralized. But the post office department shows a money deficit annually. & Why? Because the revenue producing part of the national postal service is in the hands of private express companies of the land, who are growing rich and powerful by having usurped the right to carry packages and parcels. . These companies have been able to maintain senators, representatives represen-tatives and lobbies in congress, who have opposed and defeated every act of legislation suggested against them and for the people. In some quarters opposition to a parcels post has been offered on the ground that it would be injurious to the local merchant. This is wrong, the local merchant and dealer would be as much benefitted as anyone. He pays as much, if not more to the express companies than anyone else. He pays his share to the maintenance of the post office. The rural postman and local carrier must be supported anyway Why not let him bring your parcels when he brings your other mail? The additional expense to the department, to conduct the parcels post, would be very trifling compared with the splendid revenues that would accrue from its operation. By all means let us have the parcels post and let the people get the benefit of good service and also the benefit of having a surplus instead of a deficit in their own institution, the post office. |