To a few of my readers the foregoing may appear to be a digression from my subject. It is not intended as such. It is intended to call the reader’s attention to some powers and authority Mr. Hitchcock seeks in his recommended legislation, _legislation which should not be enacted_. Let us look at a few of those recommendations. If space permitted, I would take pleasure in commenting on several more of them. On page 10 of his report, Mr. Hitchcock repeats a recommendation of his 1909 report. He repeats it “earnestly.” He also expresses the opinion that “_as soon as the postal savings system is thoroughly organized_, the Postoffice Department should be prepared to establish throughout the country a general parcels post.” As a “preliminary step” to such establishment of a parcels post Mr. Hitchcock seeks authority from Congress to initiate a “limited parcels post service on rural routes.” On page 26 of his report, Mr. Hitchcock suggests the _substantials_ of the legislation he believes necessary to enable him to establish his contemplated “limited parcels post service on rural routes,” _as an experimental test_. As evidence that he wants the power and authority to make this “experiment” on his own lines and judgment and pursuant of his _own purposes_ I shall here quote the form of his advised legislation. To anyone who has made study of parcels post service it is needless to say that among the civilized nations of the earth the United States is so far in arrears in such service as to be generally recognized as an international joke. It is quite needless to say to such that Mr. Hitchcock’s prattle of a “limited” parcels post and of trying it on certain _selected_ rural routes (with no privileges of service beyond the geographical limits of such routes), as an “experiment,” is more than a mere joke. 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.