Mail-order buys

In his article "Direct-Marketing Firms and States Discuss Sales Tax," June 2, the author completely omitted the high cost of shipping of the merchandise ordered by mail. One time the shipping cost was almost 80 percent of the cost of merchandise that I ordered. We have long given an ultimatum to the mail-order houses with whom we deal that we will pay either the transportation costs or the sales tax, never both.

You would be surprised at the number of them that agreed with our condition for fear of losing business.

We are looking at some old Sears and Montgomery Ward catalogs. Back then, everything was shipped postpaid. If Congress does anything with the sales tax, the mail order houses will have to make adjustments or lose a good chunk of their business. I. de Lissovoy, Lakeland, Fla.

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