322 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



PARCEL POST LIMIT GOES UP 

 TO 20 POUNDS. 



Postage is Materially Reduced in 

 First and Second Zones. 



S-tveeping: Changeis in IVcw Department 

 Are Aunoiiuceil by Postmaster Gen- 

 eral Burle;«on — Effeetive 

 August Fifteenth. 



Washington, July 20. — Plans for the 

 extension, improvement and reduction 

 in rates of the parcel post were an- 

 nounced today by Postmaster General 

 Burleson. The changes, which are to 

 become effective on August 15. include 

 an increase from 11 pounds to 20 pounds 

 in maximum weight of parcels ; a ma- 

 terial reduction in the postage rates in 

 the first and second zones. 



WITHIN 150 MILES. 



While, for the present, the maximum 

 weight limit of 20 pounds and the re- 

 duction in rates will apply only to the 

 first and second zones, from any given 

 postoffice — a distance of about 150 miles 

 — the changes directed today constitute 

 the first long step towards a universal 

 extension of the system and a general 

 reduction in the rates of postage on par- 

 cel matter. 



THE ZONES AFFECTED. 



"The first zone shall include the ter- 

 ritory within the local delivery of any 

 office and the first zone rate of postage 

 will apply to all parcel post mail depos- 

 ited at any office for local delivery or 

 for delivery by city carrier or on rural 

 routes emanating from that postoffice. 



"The second zone shall include the re- 

 mainder of what is now the first zone 

 together with the present second zone, 

 and shall include all the units of area 

 located in whole or in part within a 

 radius of approximately 150 miles from 

 any given postoffice. 



"The rate of postage on parcels 

 weighing in excess of four ounces in 

 the proposed first zone will be reduced 

 from five cents for the first pound and 

 one cent for each additional pound or 

 fraction thereof, to five cents for the 

 first pound and one cent for each addi- 

 tional two pounds or fraction thereof, 

 and the rate for the second zone will be 

 reduced from five cents for the first 

 pound and three cents for each addi- 



tional pound or six cents for the first 

 pound and four cents for each addi- 

 tional pound or fraction thereof to five 

 cents for the first pound and one cent 

 for each additional pound or fraction 

 thereof. 



NO CHANGE IN SIZE. 



"The maximum weight of parcel post 

 packages will be increased from 11 

 pounds to 20 pounds, the increase of 

 weight to apply only to the first and 

 second zones. No change has been made 

 in the size or form of the package." 



Statistics collected by the department 

 show that quite one-third of the total 

 number of parcels mailed are handled 

 within the proposed first and second 

 zones, and the postmaster general be- 

 lieves the increase in the weight limit 

 and the reduction of the rates of post- 

 age in the first and second zones, as 

 proposed, will benefit greatly more than 

 one-third of the public; and that the 

 producer, the consumer and the local 

 merchant will profit materially by the 

 changes. He points out, too, that the 

 farmers, who were led to anticipate 

 much benefit from the parcel post ser- 

 vice, will be afiforded a cheap means of 

 transporting their products directly to 

 the consumer, and that the local mer- 

 chant whose trade does not justify the 

 employment of extensive delivery ser- 

 vice also will be benefited, as the system 

 will put him in close touch with his cus- 

 tomers. 



MANY INSURE PACKAGES. 



The insurance fee, which originally 

 was 10 cents, was found to be excessive 

 and an order, effective July 1, reduced 

 to five cents the fee on parcels insured 

 to actual value up to $25 ; and a 10-cent 

 fee is exacted only on parcels insured 

 to actual value of more than $25 and 

 not exceeding $50. Under this arrange- 

 ment the business of insuring packages 

 has more than doubled, particularly in 

 the sending of valuable merchandise. 



During the present month an immense 

 business has been built up in the hand- 

 ling of parcels forwarded imder the 

 C. O. D. regulation inaugurated July 1, 

 1913, which is said to be proving popu- 

 lar not only among merchants but 

 among the people generally. 



Postal experts estimate that, with the 

 proposed changes in the parcel post sys- 

 tem in operation, the revenues of the 

 postoffice department will be so in- 

 creased as to show a substantial surplus 

 at the end of the current fiscal year. 



