It was carefully figured in 1900 that our rural, or non-railroad, communities alone lost $90,000,000 a year in excessive express charges and delays in delivery by reason of the _criminal_ apathy of their government in the matter of furnishing even a _reasonably_ adequate domestic parcels post service, such, for instance, as that furnished by the German government. The German government carries an 11-pound package anywhere in the German empire or in Austria-Hungary _for 12 cents_. To aid the reader, I give, following, a table covering the data essential to a fair understanding both of the excessive pay for a service which our government should render for a _tenth_ of the money and, also, of _why_ our express service is inconvenient--is _wasteful and expensive_--by reason of the _distance_ the express offices are from the people ordering. This last is clearly shown by comparing their _number_ with the larger number of postoffices in the several states named. THE WORM UNCOVERED. =============+========+========+=======+========+=======+=======+======= | No. | No. |Average| Amount | | | | of | of |express|saved by|English|German |Mexican STATE. |express | post- |charge.| parcel | merchants’ advantage |offices.|offices.| |post at |at 48c.|at 58c.|at 66c. | | | | 12c. | | | -------------+--------+--------+-------+--------+-------+-------+------- Alabama | 334 | 2,445 | $1.33 | $1.21 | $0.85 | $0.75 | $0.67 Arizona | 41 | 202 | 3.89 | 3.77 | 3.41 | 3.31 | 3.23 Arkansas | 262 | 1,880 | 1.66 | 1.54 | 1.18 | 1.08 | 1.00 California | 586 | 1,659 | 3.16 | 3.04 | 2.68 | 2.58 | 2.50 Connecticut | 108 | 511 | .61 | .49 | .13 | .03 | Georgia | 451 | 2,657 | 1.33 | 1.21 | .85 | .75 | .67 Illinois | 1,495 | 2,622 | 1.09 | .97 | .61 | .51 | .43 Kentucky | 471 | 2,892 | 1.22 | 1.10 | .74 | .64 | .56 Maine | 248 | 1,254 | .61 | .49 | .13 | .03 | Michigan | 737 | 2,161 | 1.22 | 1.10 | .74 | .64 | .56 New York | 1,309 | 3,735 | .61 | .49 | .13 | .03 | Ohio | 1,362 | 3,398 | 1.09 | .97 | .61 | .51 | .43 Oklahoma | 30 | 576 | 2.10 | 2.07 | 1.62 | 1.52 | 1.53 Pennsylvania | 919 | 5,206 | .61 | .49 | .13 | .03 | Rhode Island | 90 | 153 | .61 | .49 | .13 | .03 | South Dakota | 229 | 639 | 2.67 | 2.55 | 2.19 | 2.09 | 2.01 Texas | 662 | 2,968 | 2.19 | 2.07 | 1.61 | 1.61 | 1.53 Virginia | 263 | 3,468 | 1.22 | 1.10 | .74 | .64 | .56 +--------+--------+ | | | | Whole country| 20,155 | 60,000 | | | | |