1 54 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
cents a pound ($16 per hundredweight), as well as the pro¬ 
posed rate of 12 cents a pound ($12 per hundredweight), are 
alike prohibitive on practically all lines of merchandise. 
Mail-order houses make their shipments usually by freight 
or express and would continue to do so. 
“Antagonism to the proposed measures, when analyzed 
and found not to be the result of selfish motives, appears 
to be based upon inaccurate or insufficient information. 
In illustration, I desire to invite attention to a communica¬ 
tion of the Richmond Commercial Club, of Richmond, Ind., 
which appeared in the Congressional Record of January 4, 
1908. In this letter the statement was made that a cer¬ 
tain mail-order house would save $40,000 a year on the 
mailing of catalogues alone. Catalogues are rated as 
third-class matter, whereas the Department’s recommenda¬ 
tions with respect to parcel post relate to fourth-class matter 
only. Catalogues are now mailable at one cent for two 
ounces, or eight cents a pound, four cents a pound less than 
the rate proposed for the general parcel post. The mail¬ 
order house referred to, therefore, would gain nothing 
under the proposed law in the mailing of its catalogues. 
“With the adoption of new conveniences of life by urban 
residents, and the ever-increasing attractions of the city, 
especially potent in their influence upon the younger 
generation, the importance of affording farmers and ruralites 
generally every legitimate advantage becomes more and 
more apparent. The free rural delivery has improved 
materially and intellectually the life of great numbers of 
these people. Is it too much to ask that the Department 
shall make a further use of this important system; a use 
which, while adding appreciably to the postal revenues, 
will directly and vitally benefit every man, woman and 
child within reach of a rural route? The countryman 
.would have the necessities of life delivered at his gate at an 
average cost of two cents a pound, thereby facilitating and 
increasing consumption. This would mean augmentation 
of the trade of thousands of country merchants. The 
commercial traveler should appreciate the advantages of 
this system; it would increase his orders because the 
country merchant buys from the jobber or the wholesaler. 
Every component part of our commercial system would, 
feel the effects of an increased prosperity. 
“It would inevitably tend toward the improvement 
of the roads. Better roads and improved postal facilities 
in the rural districts would result in increased values of. 
farm lands. The rural service as now organized has accom¬ 
plished something in this direction; its enlargement will 
add to the good attained.” 
To show what is being done abroad Mr. Meyer has pre¬ 
pared the following schedule of rates that apply in the 
various countries in which the system is in operation. 
PARCEL POST RATES IN THE DOMESTIC SERVICE OF THE COUNTRIES 
NAMED. 
Great Britain.—Postage rate's for the first pound, 3 pence (6 
cents), and for each additional pound, 1 penny (2 cents); maximum 
weight, 11 pounds; greatest length, 3 feet 6 inches; greatest length 
and girth combined, 6 feet. 
New Zealand and the States composing the Commonwealth of 
Australia.—Limits of weight and size, same as in Great Britain. 
Postage rates, 6 pence (12 cents) for the first pound, and 3 pence (6 
cents) for each additional pound. 
Germany.—Greatest weight, 50 kilograms (about 110 pounds); 
no limit of size. Postage rates: For all parcels conveyed not more 
than 10 geographic miles,-25 pfennig (6 cents), and 50 pfennig (13 
cents) for greater distance; if a parcel weighs more than 5 kilograms 
(11 pounds av.), it is charged for each additional kilogram (2 pounds) 
carried 10 miles, 5 pfennig (1 cent); 20 miles, 10 pfennig (3 cents); 
50 miles, 20 pfennig (5 cents); 100 miles, 30 pfennig (8 cents); 150 
miles, 40 pfennig (10 cents); and more than 150 miles, 50 pfennig 
(13 cents). Unwieldy parcels are charged in addition 50 per cent of 
the above rates. 
Austria.—Greatest weight, 50 kilograms (110 pounds); except 
that parcels containing gold or silver coin may weigh up to 65 kilo¬ 
grams (143 pounds). Postage rates: Parcels up to 5 kilograms (11 
pounds) in weight are charged 30 heller (6 cents) for the first 10 
miles, and 60 heller (12 cents) for'greater distances. A parcel weigh¬ 
ing more than 5 kilograms (11 pounds) is charged for each kilogram 
(2 pounds), in addition to the above rates, for the first 10 miles, 6 
heller (1 cent); 20 miles, 12 heller (2 cents); 50 miles, 24 heller (5 
cents); 100 miles, 36 heller (7 cents); 150 miles, 48 heller (10 cents), 
and more than 150 miles, 60 heller (12 cents). 
France.—Greatest weight 10 kilograms (about 22 pounds); no 
limit of size. Postage rates: Up to 3 kilograms (7 pounds), 60 
centimes (12 cents) delivered at the railway station, and 85 centimes 
(17 cents) delivered at a residence; from 3 to 5 kilograms (7 to 11 
pounds), 80 centimes (16 cents) at a station, and 1 franc 5 centimes 
(21 cents) at residence; from 5 to 10 kilograms (11 to 22 pounds), 
1 franc 25 centimes^ (25 cents) at a station, and 1 franc 50 centimes 
(30 cents) at a residence. 
Belgium.—Greatest weight 60 kilograms (about 132 pounds); 
no limit of size, but unwieldy parcels are charged 50 per cent in addi- 
tion to the following rates for any distance: Parcels up to 5 kilo¬ 
grams (11 pounds), 50 centimes (10 cents)—or if by express trains, 
80 centimes (16 cents); up to 10 kilograms (22 pounds), 60 centimes 
(12 cents)—or if by express trains, 1 franc (20 cents) ; for each addi¬ 
tional 10 kilograms (22 pounds), 10 centimes (2 cents)—or if sent by 
express trains, 50 centimes (10 cents) additional. Fee for delivering 
at residences, 30 centimes (6 cents). 
Italy.—Greatest weight, 5 kilograms (11 pounds). For ordinary 
parcels, greatest size in any direction, 60 centimeters (2 feet), except 
rolls which may measure 1 meter (40 inches—3 feet 4 inches) in 
length by 20 centimeters (8 inches) in thickness. Postage rates for 
a parcel not exceeding 3 kilograms (7 pounds), 60 centimes (12 
cents); and 1 franc (20 cents) for a parcel exceeding that weight. 
A parcel which exceeds 60 centimeters (2 feet) in any direction, but 
does not exceed 1% meters (5 feet), is admitted to the mails as an 
“unwieldy” parcel and is charged, in addition to the above rates, 30 
centimes (6 cents) if it does not weigh more than 3 kilograms (7 
pounds), and 50 centimes (10 cents) if it exceeds that weight. 
The Netherlands.—Greatest weight, 5 kilograms (11 pounds); 
greatest size, 25 cubic decimeters (1,525 cubic inches), or 1 meter (3 
feet 4 inches) in any direction. Postage rates: 15 (6) cents (Dutch) 
up to 1 kilogram (2 pounds); 20 (8) cents from 1 to 3 kilograms (2 
to 7 pounds); 25 cents (10) from 3 to 5 kilograms (7 to 11 pounds). 
Chile.—Greatest weight, 5 kilograms (11 pounds); must not 
measure more than 60 centimeters (2 feet) in any direction. Post¬ 
age rates: 30 centavos (10 cents) if a parcel does not weigh more 
than 3 kilograms (7 pounds); 50 centavos (17 cents) if it weighs 
more. 
Cuba.—Greatest weight, 11 pounds; greatest size, 3 feet 6 inches 
in length by 2 feet 6 inches in width. Postage rates: 10 centavos 
(10 cents) a pound up to 5 pounds; and 6 centavos (6 cents) for each 
additional pound. 
ITS VALUE. 
Advertising, energetcially, intelligently, persisently fol¬ 
lowed, is as irresistible as a rising tide; works as surely and 
as silently; but, unlike the tide, it can be kept continually 
on the flood. 
