Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1828-06-19
CIRCULAR TO PosTMASTERs.
PosT OFFIcE DEPARTMENT.

CIRCULAR TO POSTMASTERs.
Posi- OFFIcE DEPARTMENT.
10th June, 1928.
The Post Master General has lately
received, with regret, frequent CON-
plants of the miscarriage of newspapers
forwarded in the mail. In many in.
stances the causes IF these complaints
are believd TO exist in the printing Offices
The papers have not been carefully
put up and plainly directed But it Is
feared that at some of the Post Offices
there may hav been remissness in hav-
ing put new envelopes on newspaper
packets where the old ones had become
much worn and defaced; and sometimes
in having failed to give the proper direc-
ton to the packets. To delay the de-
livery of a news paper is made seri.
ons offence by the Post Office law.
Too much attention cannot be paid to
this Professionally neglect of it, and
Postmas,ers will lose the confidence OF
the public and of the Department.
Where failures are complained of,
the Postmaster, at whose office the
packets are mailed. is requested TO OBJ
tain statement from the printer of the
different packets forwarded by mail,
and the number ofPapers in each.
Occasionally, the packets deposited
may be compared with this statement
and any omission detected.
Postmas,ers who fail to adopt this
suggestion, may be Justly chargeable
with negligence, and held responsible
for all failures.
Packets badly secured or not plainly
directed, should always be returned
to the printing Office. Where the pack.
ct is large, Irvine should be used, and
the direction of the packet should be
endorsed on one or more of the papers
enclosed.
Where papers are not taken out of the
office by the persons to whom they are
directed, immediate notice should be
given to the printer, and, on his failing
to pay the postage, the papers may be
sold for it, as provided in the Post Office
law. On some publications it may be
difficult to determine whether newspa-
per or pamphlet postage should be char
ged. Some newspapers are published
in pamphlet form, as Miles Register"
others in the quarto form, as the IA
merican Farmer" When a paper is
published periodically on a large sheet,
IN the common form of newspaper, it
should be SO considered. Where the
form is different. the subject matter
must determine its character. II it con-
tain leading articles of intelligence,
summary ofpolitical events, or what IS
generally termed news, and is published
weekly, or oftener it should be called
newspaper. Advertisements are gene
rally contained in newspapers, though
seldom, il ever, ID pamphlets.
In cases where strong doubt remains
what character to give the publication,
it would be we'll to charge the most ia.
vorable postage, until the decision OF
the Postmaster General shall be obtain.
ed. Where greater weight is franked
than the law authorizes, postage should
be charged for the excess. If the pack
ct contain hand,bills, or other articles,
which cannot be called newspapers, or
the excess should be char
ged by the ounce, as for letter postage
But, the excess consist of newspapers
or pamphlets, they should be charged as
such.
Every thing sent in the mail, which,
does not come under the denomination
of newspapers or pamphlets, is subJecb
by law, to letter postage.
The Postmaster General enioins me
utmost vigilance and impartiality on all
Postmasters in the performance OF these
duties. And he hopes to witness the
beneficial results, of their jealous Ell,
forts, by the public confidence reposeo
in the safety of the mail, and the hdsl-
ity Of its agents.