Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-03-05
Parcels by MaiI-How the New Law
Operates.

erative by which the Postoffice Depart.
ment was empowered TO carry in the
mails, as mail matter of the third class,
in addition to pamphlets, cards, engrav-
ings, seeds, cuttings, bulbs, roots, scions,
and long list of articles of similar
nature enumerated, all other articles not
above four pounds in weight which are
not from their form or nature liable to
destroy, deface, or otherwise injure the
mailbag or the person of anyone en-
gagged in the postal service. All liquids,
poisons, glass, explosive material, and
obscene books were excluded. This
opened the mails to the reception of the
vast quantity of small packages which
were to be conveyed from one part of
the country to another, and insured for
such parcels prompt dispatch to the re-
motest part of the United States, at
charge of but one cent for each two
ounces or fraction thereof.
The regulations governing the class of
matter referred TO are few and simple.
All packages must be so wrapped, with
open sides or ends, that. their contents
may be readily and thoroughly examined
| by the postal clerks without despoiling
| their wrappers. No writing is permitted
except the address of destination, and
| to inclose or conceal letter, Or write or
print anything upon a newspaper or
other matter inclosed as a merchandise
package, subjects the sender to prose-
cution and fine. If it is necessary TO
break or tear wrapper, letter rates are
to be collected on packages so wrapped
when they are delivered.
Some idea of the extent of the business
done under this law may be gathered
from the returns made for fifty of the
leading cities in the United States for the
month of December, 1874. In tour weeks
225, ,733 packages of merchandise, weigh
ing 110,473 pounds, were sent through the
mails. In the same time, in the New
| York Office alone, the number of pieces
was 89,054, weighing 36,005 pounds. This
may be taken as a good average months
work, so that in the course of the year
nearly 500, 900 pounds of this class of
matter will be sent from the office in this
city
The advantages of the new law have
been very great to retail dealers, who
have hitherto been compelled, in order
to accommodate out-of town customers,
to send packages of samples and small
orders of goods by express companies at
great expense. They are now enabled to
send such parcels at comparatively light
cost. A few of the larger houses send
the bulk of the matter dispatched, but
great deal of it is also mailed by persons
out of business. The variety of matter
thus sent is astonishing.
At the general Postoffice in this city
the examinations of these parcels is car
ried on under the eye of MIR. John W.
Brady, who has under him a force en-
ployed during part of each day in this
business alone. They sit at a long coun-
ter upon which the contents of the
pouches are poured, and each is careful
ly inspected before it is allowed to pass
Although time enoueh has elapsed since
the law became effective to permit every
body to become acquainted with the
regulations under which its privileges
may be enjoyed, few minutes
observation will suffice to show that
there is much ignorance yet upon the
subject, and not little defiance of the
law. Here you see pile of stuff two or
three feet deep. The first package taken
from it contains "a sample pipe, carefully
inclosed which is so securely packed
that the postal clerk would be entitled
to assess letter rates because he cannot
readily examine it. The Postmaster
General has recently issued instructions
"that third.class mail matter must be
wrapped so as to admit of examination
without destroying the wrapper. When
Postmasters cannot make an eXamina-
tion of the contents of a package of third
class matter without destroying the
wrapper, such package must be rated
with letter postage, to be collected on de-
livery, and under no circumstances can
Postmaster tear, cut, or destroy the wrap
per of any package whatever which may
be in transit through his office"
Next II thin package is drawn out, its
wrapper is slipped off, and in two or
three folds of paper a photograph is in
closed. On the back of the photograph
is tender line with the signature of The
sender. The wrappings are returned,
and for this infringement of the law the
recipient of the package will have topay
/. double letter-rates. Another package is
. box, tied up, and open at one end, and
through the opening are seen folds OF
t white paper. They are unrolled, and a
Q cracker is finally discovered as the ker-
3 mel of this nut, which IS TO be cracked by
somebody who will understand the joke
, better than the postal clerks.
, Again, a small box is opened which
, contains, besides a set of gold and rub
ber earrings, letter from young lady,
:. sending them to her friend, neither of
r whom will learn perhaps that they have
s exposed themselves to the danger of no
s toriety by breaking the laws and TO the
e loss of five dollars for doing so into the
I bargain. Mr.. Brady says that majority
c of the cases of infringement of the regu-
e lations are made by women, who do not
: seem to understand what law means
+ and many of those from whom addition
|. al rates have been collected for theil
c negligence have complained bitterly OF
n the hardships they have been compelled
l. to undergo.
If package is so stamped that the
G clerk finds it necessary to destroy the
4 stamp in order to examine the contents
: letter rates are charged
v AS an instance of the cheapness OF
. the rate at which goods can be sent BY
! mail, it is related that an officer of the
!. United States army at Fort Scott had al
= entire outfit, including a suit of clothes
q and many small articles, done up il
- packages of four pounds each, the whole
!. filling mail-pouch, sent TO his post a
n an expense of about five dollars, where
a as the expense by express would have
, been twenty dollars. A bonnet upoI
" which the express companies woulC
= charge a dollar and a half for transpor
y tation to Chicago was sent through thu
II mail for eight cents. The Governmen
:, is not responsible for damage done t,
n goods carried.
A The retail trade do not generally labe
a. their packages for transmission in thi
n way, but it is known at the Postoftic
- - that A. T. Stewart & Co., Lord {
II Taylor and Arnold Constable & Co
"a make use of the facilities offered an,
AZ AZ also that r. H. Macy & Co. and Ridley
~ Co inlrust great numbers of package
=. daily to the mails. The result of thi
10 patronage to the mails has been CORE
sr spending loss to the express companies
. who are now said TO be endeavoring 4
o secure the repeal of the law, Such
movement is likely to be met with warn
opposition, as the success of it woul'
secure to the express companies mo
nopoly OF the business. As the article
conveyed are usually of such nature a
es to Withstand ordinary usage 1t is argue
y, by the dealers that they can be as salts
10 factorily carried by that method as b.