desired to put a stop to the transmission, as second-class matter,
of periodicals which were really ordinary books, by transferring such
traffic to the express companies. Although in favour of a full parcel
post system, and recognizing that there was a strong desire in the
country for the boon, Mr. Wanamaker was not prepared to advocate its
immediate establishment. He thought other reforms should take
precedence; such as free-delivery extension, postal telegraph, postal
telephone, and 1 cent postage on land and sea, all of which, except the
extension of free delivery, are still waiting adoption.

A number of postmasters criticized the suggestions of the
Postmaster-General in 1890 regarding parcel post, but most of them had,
by 1891, expressed themselves in favour of a full parcel post system,
and according to Mr. Wanamaker the remainder were "probably interested
express agents." The situation was in some respects unsatisfactory. It
was a common practice for business firms to contract with express
companies to carry large quantities of small packages at a rate per
package just below the rate of postage. The express companies took such
of the packages as they thought fit to handle, and left the Post Office
to carry the remainder, all long-distance traffic, and unprofitable both
to the express companies and to the Post Office. But the companies were
secured by their profit in the short distances. Naturally, therefore,
they offered strenuous opposition to the establishment of a parcel
post.[416]

With the establishment of rural mail delivery there arose a new demand
for a parcel post. Persons living on the rural routes desired to take
advantage of the new service for the delivery of small parcels of
merchandise of all kinds, food-stuffs, tobacco, dry goods, etc., which
they would order from the local store-keeper by post or by telephone.
The rate then payable on such parcels was the general rate for
fourth-class matter, viz. 16 cents a pound, which for parcels of goods
of small intrinsic value was prohibitive. In response to this demand,
the first definite proposals for a parcel post[417] were put forward by
the department in 1904, when the establishment of a special rate of 3
cents a pound was suggested, with a maximum limit of weight of 5 pounds,
for parcels from any distributing office for rural routes to any patron
on the routes from that office. Such a rate "would be a great
convenience to the patrons and become a sou