"John Wanamaker, as Postmaster-General, tried to arrange for a parcels post in America. Mr. Cortelyou, in the same office, moved indirectly to the same end, proposing to consolidate the third and fourth classes of mail matter and provide for a gradual increase of the weight limit with reduction of the rates of postage.
"The public desires a parcels-post system, of course. The express companies do not desire such a system, and up to the moment they have been too strong for both the people and the administrations. Postmaster-General Meyer's announcement of his plans for an early extension of the parcels-mail service is to be regarded with interest and hope.
"Four pounds is the present mail limit of weight in the United States. Mr. Meyer suggests an increase to eight or ten pounds. This is progress in moderation. The limit in Great Britain is eleven pounds, being held down by railway influence in Parliament. France carries parcels up to twenty-two pounds, and Germany stops at 110 pounds, packages to that weight being transportable between the home country and Austria and Switzerland.
"When it comes to the question of rates, liberality also balances for the Old World. To carry a four-pound package anywhere within its limits the United States charges sixty-four cents. Great Britain will carry a parcel to Shanghai by way of Egypt, the Suez Canal, India, and Hongkong for twelve cents a pound. And anywhere in the United Kingdom parcels travel at rates from one and one-half cents for one pound to twenty-five cents for eleven pounds.
"In Germany, Switzerland, France, England, all about Europe, the tourist may send and receive promptly by post his laundry and small luggage; the people may effect their minor transfers of commodities safely and quickly and cheaply by mail. In a long list of world-powers the United States alone, greatest and richest of all, suffers its public to pay in annoyances of uncertain service and excessive rates for the maintenance of private monopolies in the parcels traffic.
"Success—and greater breadth—to the fresh reformatory ideas of Postmaster-General Meyer!"
And let everybody join in this wish for the success of the object sought.