PROCEEDINGS OP THIRTY-THIRD FRUIT-GROWERS ' CONVENTION. 19 



whale that our transportation troubles would be lessened, and our 

 cash in hand materially increased, if Congress would authorize the 

 Postmaster- General to institute an up-to-date parcels post, such as is 

 enjoyed by other civilized countries. 



To agitate for this end, the Postal Progress League of California 

 was organized. No doubt many of you have since then read or heard 

 various arguments, favorable or unfavorable, concerning the matter. 

 But lest many of you are not familiar with the parcels-post idea, let me 

 briefly inform you of a few of the facts. 



Almost all the civilized world regards it as the function of the 

 postoffice'to carry not only letters but also packages, varying in weight 

 from ounces to hundredweights. Switzerland, for instance, permits 

 the mailing of anything that will pass through the door of a railroad 

 car. Rates are various, but extremely low. Thus Germany, for 6 

 cents, within a 46-mile radius, sends 11 pounds, and for 12 cents all 

 through, not only her own domain, but also through Austria-Hungary — 

 a possible 1,500 miles. Great Britain sends 3 pounds to farthest India 

 for 24 cents, or 11 pounds for 72 cents. While we, as you know, pay 

 64 cents for 4 pounds from Marysville to Chico. By a curious and 

 ridiculous anomaly this same 4-pound parcel can be sent all the way to 

 London, England, for 48 cents— 12 cents less than it costs to Chico ; so 

 a suit of clothes can be mailed to Marysville from Dublin, in Ireland, for 

 less than from San Francisco. 



At the same time, for the British public, the American express com- 

 panies carry all parcels up to 11 pounds from New York to any point 

 in the United States for 24 cents; when an American citizen, living in 

 his own country, wants to send an 11-pound parcel from Pacific Grove 

 to New York, the same express companies charge him $2.35 for the 

 same parcel. You need not suppose that the 24-cent rate is given to the 

 Britisher " because they love him so"; simply there are dollars in the 

 job for the express companies, even at 24 cents. It helps to swell the 

 $30,000,000 surpluses of the Wells-Fargo Express Co. and to make 

 possible the 200 per cent stock dividends of the Adams Express Co. 



What these express companies do for the foreigner your postoffice 

 could do for you. But do you want it done 1 Do you believe that cheap 

 transportation increases trade? I don't know how Marysville feels 

 to-day ; but I do know that over three years ago I made a call on Mr. 

 A. A. Watkins, President of the San Francisco Board of Trade. I 

 wanted to enlist him and his board in an enlarged commerce, made pos- 

 sible by cheaper transportation of packages by mail. He said to me, 

 "No, sir. We had a man at Washington last session of Congress pur- 

 posely to oppose the passage of any parcels-post bill, and we'll do so 

 again! Why, in Marysville the retail hardware dealers of northern 



