No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 339 



time, to stockholders owning tlieir own 'phones, is |4.00 a year, an 

 increase of fl.OO over previous years. The benefits can only be 

 realized by those who enjoy them. 



Freight-carrying trolleys are badly needed throughout many of 

 our farming communities. Unfortunately these come most rapidly 

 in most densely populated localities. These must be largely the 

 result of growth and time, but any action favoring the establishment 

 oJ such lines should be considered the duty of every farmer. 



The means of communication of greatest importance to the farmer 

 at the present time would be obtained by the establishment of the 

 parcels post. Any farmer who wishes to reach a distant customer 

 with a pail of butter or case of eggs knows that 25 cents is the least 

 possible express charge, with rates rapidly increasing with distance 

 or transfer from one company to another. The German farmer may 

 send a 10-1 b. pail of butter anywhere within a distance of 46 miles 

 or less for 6 cents, or anywhere within the limits of Germany and 

 Austria for 12 cents. 



Several years ago a gentleman presented a suit case at the post 

 ofifiice window in New York City, stating that he wished to mail it 

 to New Haven. He was soon troubled to find that he must tell the 

 contents of the case, although he could not see why that made any 

 difference in the cost of its carriage. If it contained magazines he 

 must further tell the postal clerk his business, for if he were a private 

 individual sending those magazines to another private individual 

 he should pay 4 cents a pound. If he were a printer sending them 

 to a publisher he should pay 8 cents a pound. If he were a pub- 

 lisher sending them to the newsdealer he might send them for 

 1 cent a pound. If they chanced to have a board cover on them, 

 making them a book, he must pay 8 cents a pound. If he chanced 

 tf be a farmer and had in that suit case potatoes or corn he must 

 toll what he intended to do with them. If he meant to plant these 

 things he might send them for 8 cents a pound but if he intended 

 to eat them he must pay 16 cents a pound. Furthermore, he must 

 give up the key to the government. He did not realize that is was 

 the purpose of the postal authorities to act as detectives where 

 no intent of misdemeanor was apparent. Upon inquiry he found 

 that he might send this suit case to New Zealand and back to New 

 Haven for |2.64 or by way of Germany for |1.95; but he did not 

 care to wait that long so decided to mail it direct. However, it 

 exceeded 4 pounds in weight, therefore he could send it at none of 

 these rates but must pay letter postage. It was mailed at 5.30 p. 

 m., and delivered at 10.47 p. ra., at a cost of |3.68. It could have 

 been mailed from any point in Germany to the same destination 

 for 63 cents or to any point within Germany, as above stated for 

 12 cents. 



The express companies are ready to interpose objections, voiced 

 by Congressmen, to the establishment of parcels post. They say 

 that our country is too big; we cannot do what the smaller coun- 

 tries of Europe can do. If so, why not limit the distance as in Ger- 

 many, with a higher rate for the greater distance. They point to 

 our present postal deficit and say we cannot afford to increase this 

 deficit. Some light is shown upon this problem by the report of 

 the Canadian Postal Department for the year ending March 31, 

 1909. During that year the mail carrying mileage of Canada in- 



