Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-10-15
Posi- OFFICE, WORCESTER, !

lost OFFICE, w ORCESTERy I
10 Mo. ID, 1862.
Within the two days past three letters have
been dropped in this office, directed respec-
lively to Mrs. Mary Wormuth, -Hawkinsvile,
Oneida CO., N. Y, James Spaulding, Attica,
Gennesee CO., n. Y, and Charles NJ. Rich,
North Brookfeld, Mass. all of them marked
soldiers letters" in pencil, and all of them
without postage stamps. Many other similar
cases have occurred. The frequency of the
occurrence indicates a wide spread misappre
hension in the community in reference to the
mailing of soldiers letters without the pre-
payment of postage. None can be mailed
without prepayment, unless written by the sol
der himself OF by some one in his behalf, and
the endorsement verified by the signature of
some officer Of the regiment to which the sol
der belongs, designated for that purpose, with
the officers title and the number of the regi-
n-ent attached to the signature. All soldiers
letters, where this regulation is not complied
with, are necessarily sent to the dead letter of
flee at Washington, unless the postage is pre-
paid.
Another msapprehension prevails, in rela-
ton to the right of postmastcrs to receive
mailable matter free of postage. No postmas-
ter has that right, except the comparatively
small number, whose commissions for the last
fiscal year did not amount to 5000, and, with
these, the right is restricted to sending let
tiers wa'itten by himself on his private business,
and receiving lcritten communications, adj
dressed to himself on his private business
such letters Or written communications not to
exceed half an ounce in weight. He can not,
therefore. receive or send free any description
Of printed matter. He can not frank or re-
ceive free letters written by or addressed to
his wife or any other member OF his family, or
by or to firm OF which be is member. Nor
Is lie authorized to frank letters of his own,
containing money or other things, nor letters
le'ltteH by himself on the business of Others"
1t will thus be seen that all letters directed to
postmasters, with the above exceptions, should
be prepaid by stamps. And those who write
to postmasters, not on business of the post of
flee or of the postmaster, should recollect to
enclose stamp for their return, or their let
tiers will probably remain unanswered.
would renew the caution to the public
against the use of worn, mutilated and de-
faced postage stamps. The numerous, and
sometimes successful, frauds attempted by
the use of stamps a second time, has COM
PEELED the department to adopt and enforce
stringent measures against the use of such
stamps, and those who persist therein must
expect to learn that their letters, instead of
reaching their intended destination, have gone
to the dead letter office. The department
can III no other way protect itself against
fraud, as the haste with which the mailing of
letters is necessarily performed, prevents the
necessary scrutiny, if such imperfect stamps
are used.
Those who happen to hold such stamps are
not to suppose that there is any disposition, by
these regulations, to compel them to submit
to loss OF their value, as the department has
announced its intention of making early pro-
vision for the redemption, without use, of all
such stamps as do not appear to have been
once used upon letters for postage.
j. NJ. EARLE, P. NJ.