In addition to these substantial yearly dividends on $8,000,000 of stock, _which cost its holders little or nothing_, this company cut a huge “melon” in 1910. This melon was an extra dividend to its stockholders of 100 per cent in cash ($8,000,000) and a stock dividend of 200 per cent--_a total of 300 per cent as an extra dividend_--thus raising its stock capitalization from $8,000,000 to $24,000,000. On this twenty-four millions of stock the company has continued to pay 10 per cent annually. _The net earnings of the company for 1910 and 1911 were about 20 per cent on its $24,000,000 of stock._ 14. There are no express companies in European countries. The heavier express shipments here are there handled--and satisfactorily handled--by the railroads direct. All the lighter express shipments are there handled by the parcels post. 15. The parcels post service of European countries is entirely satisfactory to the people, is cheaper than the pretense of a parcels post service which has victimized the people of this country for a half-century and _far_ cheaper than the rates we have been forced to pay for express service. 16. As it was originally designed, and _so provided by law_, that our government should have a monopoly in the carriage and delivery of packages and parcels, the express companies in this country--_all of them_--have been and are engaged in an _outlawed traffic. They are criminals._ 17. Our government, in all its branches--legislative, executive and judicial--has been party to this outlawry. It not only has protected these express and railway raiders while they robbed us, but _it has permitted itself to be robbed by them_. The seventeen statements of fact should be sufficient for a starter--a starter for arriving at a safe, sound conclusion as to how and why a comparatively few folks get fabulously rich so quickly and so easily while so many _millions_ of other folks, though lavish in industry and self-denying in expenditure, rise only to modest means or remain poor. We shall now take up a discussion of the parcels post--as it has served us, and as it has served other peoples and should be made to serve us. The first thing that is noticed in taking a ladder-top view of this Parcels post question is the _immense_ amount of public bubbling talk and writing and _money_ that is being expended upon, about and around it. Is it the people? No. That is easily to be seen. The people are being written and talked to. The people are saying little, write less and are not _putting up the money to bubble themselves_ in the _anti_-parcels post campaign. Is the general government putting up the oil and fuel to run this anti-parcels post bunk-shooting game?