Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 71, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 December 1912 — Local Merchants Have Advantage. [ARTICLE]

Local Merchants Have Advantage.

Local merchants should familiarize themselves with the new parcels post law which goes into effect the first of the year. Many of them are afraid of it, but. those who have given it some attention assert that the law gives the merchant in the small city and country towns a big advantage over his city competitor. As the law now operates the weight on mailable packages is increased to eleven pounds and the rate on rural routes and city carrier service will be five cents for the first pound and one cent ?for each additional pound. Outside of the local office a graduated rate according to distance is in force. For instance: A Renselaer merchant can mail an 11-pound package* to a customer on: any of the routes out of Rensselaer for 15 cents, while a Chicago mail order house would have to pay 4 6 cents to mail a package of the same weight. The mail order dealers are trusting that the country fnerchants will not awake to the advantages of the parcels post law and hope in time to have a bill passed which will make the rates of postage equal all over the United States. It is up to the country merchant to take advantage of the present opportunity to establish a mall order business with the farmers in their trade terrltony. A wise merchant will find the present law a great aid in extending his trade territory.