Show PARCEL POST the united states parcel post is handling approximately parcels a year or over a month it is the largest express service in tha the world it is impossible to state stat the proportion of this business bilS jneS which is distinctly rural it is ij undoubtedly true however that the chief function of the governments express exko s service has proved to be agricultural that Is is the government is the principal express carrier now between city and country and vice versa the bulk of the parcel post business is of this nature whereas the bulk of the private express companies passes palies between city and city the growth of the parcel post as a medium of edcha exchange between city and country has raised questions which are now more or less bitterly in controversy retailing organizations of the cities have attacked the farm to tahe table feature of the parcel service which involves direct exchange by government express of farm products between the rural producer and the urban consumer A second and a larger controversy has to do with the effect of the development of mail order business upon the country merchant does the farmer want his hiis new express facilities which lie he did not have before taken away Is he not better off of now than he was before Is he not brought into closer relation into almost direct touch with city life has the farmer not been drawn into closer association with the entire social and business fabric of our country and does not this ma make kefor for the intelligent development of the farmer and also make the he conditions sur surrounding rounding fife on the farm more interesting and attractive all these questions are applied from the purely business ona one of whether the parcel post tends to make the things which the farmer must buy cheaper and to expand and improve the market for the things which he sells undoubtedly the parcel post does do both these latter things and the country farmer fanner is not the only gainer because of the parcel post the country merchant is offered new facilities too which may more than off eel ce t the business secured balne by ma mail order houses ho uses of the large cities because of the parcel post he is enabled to handle merchandise heretofore out of his reach and naturally the scope of people to whom he can possibly sell is greatly enlarged in many sections farmers with in second zone distance of large c cities hive demonstrated that the farm to table selling by parcel post is a huge success in a number of cities from 8 3 to packages of farm produce are passing through the post offices daily the new service has gained a foothold and its expansion into genuine economic proportions is assured |