New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-01
THE NEW POSTAL Law.
TR1BuLATIoNs OF POST OFFICE CLERKS.
r,crs AnoUr WHICH THE PEOPLE ARE CURIOUS
o,vSrtoSs ASKED AT THE WINDOW.

TRIBuLATIoNs OF POST OFFICE CLERKS
FACTS ABOUT WHICH THE PEOPLE ARE CURIOUS
QUESTIONS ASKED AT THE WINDOW.
There Is n promise Of q rush Of business at the
Post Office to-day. The new postal law
took effect, at midnight yesterday spd tine inc
at s a. m. 1t being the first day =, Of
the month, merchants will send out their monthly
statements; the many tender missiyes penned IN
the leisure moments of Sunday will have 10 be
handled and, to cap the climax, IT is expected at
the Post Office that everybody Will want one OF
moro of the new stamps to-day. No one, III is
Thought will be content with an old, played-out,
anlquated, sere and yellow Scent or 2-cent stamp
when new ones are TO be bad. Some O0O OF tnese
wretched and unhappy threes are in the Post Olce,
however and about 2, 000, 600 twos. When the first
fits Of curiosity and desire of the public are SATISFIED,
il the cOd-blooded intention OF ihe clerks az Tue
stamp windows to palm off the old twos upon an
uDsuspecting public, and to induce applicants 70
form combinations of old threes until the anclent
brood is done away with forever
A marked feature of the circumstances
attending the new postal law rSS;. line tn9
have manifested most markedly BY asking ques-
tions at the stamp windows. One unhappy clerk
seid yesterday that for two weeks he had been
gardipg the Law such as :; When it took effect; Who
gave il effect; What made hi n or 1t give 1t erect
How would it effect the Post Office and the public
What was the appearance OF the stamps
Whose picture would be on them
Whether OF not they were good Licensees 81
Me6 was the nnmeT Of 81
tons is precisely $4,000" said the clerk, 81 an
average YOU see, of ZOO day, or 100 an hour for
ten hours work, making over one minute FER
haps the estimate is high, but the, tax on my
patience records about that number The questions
are certainly peculiar You ought to stand here an
hour and listen to Them One man wished to know
whether Washington represented with ms
hatchet, and another asked the new stamps would
stick on better tnan the old"
While the clerk talking man came to the
window slapped down a silver dollar and called
for fifty 2-cent stamps The clerk handed them out
what do you give me those fOrF don't want
them old ones" the applicant exclaimed hercely,
gazing in wrath at the old issue OF twos handed 10
him, 80,
"Tbe new issue will not be given out until to-
morrow at 8 m. .,
"Well, why can't you give them to me nowp
" Have MT any to give you if could" was the
reply. ~ -o.
his exclamation of wonder and amaze.
mo; nor will any one at this window have them
until tomorrow morning"
Well, this is q fine department; what are you
gong to do when the rush comes II
That's our business" was the calm reply OF the
clerk. The applicant finally took the ola twos and
departed.
" That's the kind of thing that's been going on
here for month";" said The clerk. " Tomorrow,
perhaps letters with Scent stamps will be dropped
into boxes and then people will rout out the whole
Post Office department TO get back their letters"