Fifth zone: The same within a radius of, approximately, 1,000 miles. Sixth zone: The same within a radius of, approximately, 1,400 miles. Seventh zone: The same within a radius of, approximately, 1,800 miles. Eighth zone: All units of area outside the seventh zone. The rates were:-- On rural route: 5 cents for the first pound or fraction of a pound, and 1 cent for each additional pound or fraction of a pound. Each additional First Pound. Pound. First zone 5 cents. 3 cents. Second zone 6 " 4 " Third zone 7 " 5 " Fourth zone 8 " 6 " Fifth zone 9 " 7 " Sixth zone 10 " 9 " Seventh zone 11 " 10 " Eighth zone 12 " 12 " Although, of course, with the body of the people the main arguments had been the ordinary contentions of the advantage of such a system as providing a most convenient facility for persons in all parts of the States, and especially in the rural districts, whereby they would be able by the utilization of existing machinery to have articles of all descriptions brought to their doors, yet in Congress the argument was largely based on the possibility of finding in the parcel post a means of reducing the "high cost of living," a problem which is giving much anxiety to politicians in America. By means of the parcel post, producer and consumer are to be brought into direct relations the one with the other. All middlemen and their profits will be eliminated, and either the producer will get more for his products or the consumer will pay less--which of these will happen does not appear: probably in some degree both are hoped for. The experience of England may not be any indication of what will happen in America. But it is certain that in England the produce sent direct from farm to consumer, whether eggs, butter, or poultry, is not obtained by the consumer at less cost than he could buy it in his own town. There is an advantage, but it rests solely in quality. The products obtained from the farm are more fresh, are probably better altogether, but the price is not less. In England these considerations have been sufficient to prevent the wholesale use of the parcel post for food-stuffs. It is, in fact, in general used for such traffic only by those people to whom a little extra expense is not an object of consideration. The conditions in America seem, however, to be substantially different from those in this country, and a large development of parcel post business of this character is anticipated.[423]