The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-03-26
HiuNo~p, March ~, 1882.
I;f.,r Of the Dispufch:

To ne Editor OF the Dtspufch:
Dear sir.-As you appear 20 be well
postsd in regard to the postal laws, and 70
take much interest In them, viii You Kind
~ give me your opinion on the following:
About two weeks ago sent small pack
ace OF papers to q lady friend living in a
northern town, and, Of course, prepaid the
possagc on il. When the package came 10
hand INV friend was asked 70 pay forty-tiye
ccnts additional. on the ground that the
pcckare was "seaied against inspection"
Now. what l want to know Is, what Is
meant by the phrase "sealed against in-
soection"s undertake 10 say th;H have
had nearly, II not quite. as much expert
encc In She sending OF mail matter AZ any
one Of my age in this city, and am at pres
cnt with one OF the largest firms here.
which doer .its immense business almost
exclusively byymail. mention this merely
In support Of the assertion which make.
that the package was not "sealed against
inspection" but was sealed exactly as
have sc,led hundreds before and expect 20
eontiuue sealing them hereafter. The
norkagc was lett entirely open and unpro-
fectSd at both ends, In conformity with the
following rule Of the Department
"Al packages OF matter OF the third
tGf<S HltlSt Dt 80 WIN w.
or egalis. that their contents may be readily
examined by postmasters.'
The northern postmaster alleged that the
s.duca" were marked on the package at
the Richmond Office, which may or may not
be true, and In the light Of tn. following
the hitter seems To be the most probable.
He said that "the day the package came he
had man to examine IL and that the man
ursed his strength TO try to push the papers.
though the wrapper, and couldn't do 1t.
II the package had been examined and
marked deficient ut the Richmond Office, l
don't see that the northern postmaster had
any more to do than to collect the amouIt
claimed. Besides. he subsequently owned
10 mistake OF three cents, and accepted
forfy-Syo cents instead Of the forty-tive he
wns, presumably, Instructed TO collect.
And the assertion that The papers could
not be pushed through the wrapper Is alt
nou~nce. frequently receive packages
of papers, where such "a thing Is simply
impossible, without going TO extremes, be-
cause Of the mucilagc spreading and fastcn-
ing the papers and wrapper together, and
the former are sometimes badly mutilated
in opening the bundle. Besides, II post
marters are allowed TO shave 4 man " to
push papers through covers open at both
ends, think good opportunity Is pre-
scented to reduce the number OF Govern
mcnt employees, With considerable saving
TO the national purse.
have taken the trouble 30 state these
facts, not for the amount involved. though
no one likes to be imposed upon, but be-
ea,lse the northern official made the trans
action particularly unpleasant to my friend {;
80 much 30 that she has decided in future
10 get her mail at the nearest town, which
IL two miles distant. He has made himself
equally obnoxious to Others also, am i'll
formed. Very respectfully, 4.
The postal officials find much difficulty
in deciding these questions. &C. being
conscious that he never tried 10 defraud
the Post-OtIicc Department, forgcts that
there are thousands OF persons who do try
to dcfraud it. II all men were honest,
the officials would know what to do. As
1t u, they are much moro troubled than Is
"C,v