Informed people know that any such restricted test of a parcels post service _is no test at all_. Informed men also know that our Federal Postoffice Department needs make no “experiments” on the parcels post service, “limited” or other. Every other civilized nation, and even provinces such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand and others, have made the “experiments,” likewise the successful demonstrations. The experiments of these other nations and provinces, as well as the results of them, are ours for the asking. Not alone that, but informed men _know, and know positively_, that our Federal Postoffice Department is in possession of--_or was in possession of_--all this information gathered from the experiences and trials and tests of a parcels post service in these other countries.
So, I repeat that Mr. Hitchcock’s talk about making an experimental test of the general value of a parcels post service by putting it in operation on a few _selected_ rural routes is a joke, _or else it is an evasion in order to delay the installation of a service which every citizen wants_, save, of course, the few individuals who now own and control our railroads, _which individuals also own_, to a controlling extent at least, _our express companies_.
But I must quote Mr. Hitchcock’s advised legislation in order to show the reader that Mr. Hitchcock desires that the resulting powers and authority center in him, or in his successors:
In order that the recommendation on page 10 of this report for the introduction of a limited parcels post service on rural routes may be promptly carried into effect, it is suggested that legislation substantially as follows be enacted:
For one year, beginning April 1, 1911, the _Postmaster General may, under such regulations as he shall prescribe_, authorize postmasters and carriers on such rural routes _as he shall select_ to accept for delivery by carrier on the route on which mailed or on any other route starting at the postoffice, branch postoffice or station which is the distributing point for that route, or for delivery through any postoffice, branch postoffice, or station on any of the said routes, _at such rates of postage as he shall determine_, packages not exceeding 11 pounds in weight containing no mail matter of the first class and no matter that is declared by law to be unmailable, and he shall report to Congress at its next session the results of this experiment (Page 26, 1910 Report.)