The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1879-10-31
Returning gisdirected Letters.

cure uniformity in the distribution and
dispatch of mail matter. and the treatment
Of matter declared unmailable under the
order of Sept. 20. the Postmaster-General
has issued the following order:
Fsrst-The attention of all postmasters
is especially called to section 467, Postal
Laws and Regulations, edition of 1879.
which must, in all cases, be strictly COM
piled with. After letter is mailed it is
the property of the person to whom it is
addressed, and must be sent to the post
Office to which it is addressed, if there be
such an Office. But, whether there be such
an Office or not. the Postmaster or his SUBJ
ordinates have no authority in law Or 9TH
erwise to change the address on direction
of the letter without the express authority
of the party or parties entitled to the letter
Should the Postmaster or his employees
change the address or direction of letter
Or package, and should the letter or pack
age in consequence fail to reach the ad-
dressee, the Postmaster would, in law, be
liable for the package. A Postmaster
may complete or perfect an address already
made, but he cannot change its direction
to different person or different Office or
different State without authority.
Second-The following additional regula-
ton is announced, to be inserted after Sec
ton 468:
Misdirected matter received at any
postofice for delivery should not be held
fer advertising, but should be Immediately
returned to the sender, if his name or ad.
DIRE ss appears thereon, marked "misdi.
rected," and stamped with the postmark
of the Office of receipt. If the name of the
sender, or some designated place, such as a
box number, or street or number, does not
appear upon misdirected matter, it should
be sent Immediately to the Dead Letter
| Office. Misdirected matter offered fcl
mailing should be returned to the sender
| if known, Immediately, or, if the sender's
name does not appear thereon, should be
sent at once to the Dead Letter Office, al
| directed in ruling No. 102, United States
Official Postal Guide, October, 1879. Tht
| provisions of act 437 must, in all cases, bs
strictly complied with"
Ihird-The General Superintendent o.
Railway Mail Service is charged with the
duty of seeing that the provisions of thi.
order aud of chapters and 10, II aud 12
of title 2 of the Postal laws and Regula
tions, edition of 1879, sections 367 to 43(
inclusive, are observed by all postmasters
He will instruct division superintendent
to inspect in person the postoffices of theil
divisions, and report to him, for the infor
nation of the Postmaster General, any vi
olation of this order or any of the provis
ions Of the chapter mentioned of the regu
lations, Or of any order which may hav'
been issued from this Office in accordance
with section 383, Postal Laws and Regula
tions, edition of 1879.
| Fow"th-Postmasters are required Il
comply with all instructions from Division
Superiptendents Of Railway Mail Service
given in pursuance Of this order. as Inn
plcitly as though emanating directly from
the department.
| FJh-This order to take effect imme
diately upon its receipt by the Divisi, ,
Superintendents and Postmasters.
D.. KEY,
Postmaster General.
In further explanation of the necessit,
| for declaring matter unmailable when no
addressed to q postof1ce, it Is stated by th'
| department taat, IN nine cases out of ten
| the attempt to deliver such matter, b.
trying one postoffice after another, ha
resulted either in the loss Of the matter o.
its being sent to the Dead Letter Office af
| ter weeks of travel through various post
| Offices of the same name. There are il
| every State two or more localities of ths
same name. but having different postoffics
names, or not having any postoffice within
their limits. At the same time there MAY
be, and probably are, fifteen other States
having a postoffice of the same name oil
these locals. For instance, there are il
the United States 80 postoffices named
| Centreville, of which six are court houses
and there is hardly a county or township
in any of the thickly-settled States which
does not have its local Centreville, to which
letters, ETC., are sometimes addressed
| Under these circumstances the department
feels that the people must justify it in re
fusing to take the responsibility of dec
ding to which postoffice, out of so many o.
the same name, or to which locality of tbs
same name, matter indefinitely addressed
or mlsdirected, should be sent. The ex
perience of the past, under the practice o
trying one postoffice after another, hal
convinced the department that the lmme
diate return of misdirected matter to the
sender for better direction, either direct
when his name is given npon the matter
or through the Dead Letter Office, car
| alone secure its safe transmission, and will
insure a prompter delivery than could pos
sibly be obtained by attempting to guess al
its destination.