New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-12
HOW NOT TO POST A PACKAGE.
ExEMPLIFIED WITH HEATHEss AND DISPATCH
At BERLIN OFFICES.
TO tie BdHor or RE Tribune,

AT BERLIN OFFICES.
TO TIE sdHor or re TrfbunG
Sir: have an acquaintance who says tina. hc
considered Red Tape a worse disease han Taenla lie
has lived in Germany.
sent package fcw DAYS ago ~ a friend IN
France. an innocent enough Httle package but ono
would have supposed It bo strepd in iugu'ty
from the way in which Il received al the post,
Offices At the first the various officials wore very
polite They told me that had none Of tho ncccsg ary
papers but tlcy dh hesitate % inform me that
! could dOubties, rot them at the Stationcre and
could I'LL them ont al home. found statluncr's
a hong way on but the Of the store scorncd
10 be tHhNd with by post onclal papers IIo was Of
the opinion that would find them In the posnncr
near by As this q larger AFFAIR than the ono
had hrst visited, l. too, believed thcrr might bc
room for thom In the building Joined the lnnumor
able caravan that novel toward tho window and
reached II IN the OF somo time Here LIND
nclghbor Informed mo that n | sent my package Via
AAanc could squeeze II through on only thr,o papriS
an addrCss card And TWO DE- laraiiouS OF con.
tents.' demanded these Of the at tho window
but he gave mo only package Of s.drS scnrds. and
when eHpost'Ilstcd misunderstood me crtHlly say.
Ing that ought to be satisfied at getting 20 many
for so llttlo money! cent and q quartrr. ! then
wandered TO the next room, hunting for the parkaen
postOilco. met an official who told me 10 20 away
from there. and also said that there was no package
side show connected with the Institution II was
HrStclASs menagore FOR the select eit ter sending
public who're oven the most scNpulous could ~ with
IMMUNITY and take tbor children
found q third posofBco, and there demanded
tho papers which l still lacked. The man
at the window said tho dignity Of the posfonlce
forbade It's troubling !tscn with such Lagaellos
and repeated the information that l could get tLouI-
~ The SiauonerS. Ito lookel upon me with interest
- specimen nom an unolvIIed land which suli
provides S public directly with necessary papers iu
Et6Nd Of schooling It IN patience aod nApy other
virtues by directing It TO tie stailoner's. found
stationcr's. The sslcswonan is attendance said sho
had only three copies Of the declarations Of conons-
left. / said / had intended invest n 4 couple
Of thousand, and keep stock on hand for personal
uso and practical charity but would tahe what she
had. Tho clock struck I opened the door Of
the store, and tho paokagnpOst closed at that hour
But passed another postOnieo and mot postmAn,
who told me / could yet send my package II
willing 10 pay something extra aud register Il. !
said was. But | there would be difficulty
as tho man at the window took II into his
hands he seemed reluctant To that far toward
sending Il. He said, first, that had forgotten 10
I'll out the date Of my papers. l told him
that was an oversight which | would Immediately
correct He said, second, that tho weight OF tho
package was not put down; | replied meekly that
had supposed tho postofico would attend 10 the
Weighing. He said. third, that the weight Of tho
contents must be known, as well as that OF tho box
and tho wrapper In which they were lnclosed;
answered that | could guess them very easily II
knew the net weight. lilo said fourth, that tho
value OF each article OF the contents must be regis
tered epled that there but article, whose
value had recorded, II no would notice. lie rownod
considered and then added fifth, that the thing
not well cnorgh packed, and ! must take It home and
DO II up over again. said that would risk te
safe carriage OF the package, but he replied that be
would not allow me 10 risk Il. took II away again
I repaired a THIRD time b tho statiOneTs a1d took
counsel with the saleswomah. asked her II she knew
any MACE near where ! could get a castiTon chest
chsap' She smiled, and SAID she herself always
avoided that particular postofiiee from which had
come because tho men there a little particular,
and abs directed 70 another one about ten minutes
Wall away found china store ~ the number given,
AND TIE man In said the postoice had been taken
away StI months before 10 another street. II was
ony hftAen minutes Of 8, and the letter post
oIoses finally Al 8. But tho man thought had tme
Set n / hurried very much. so hurried. At this
nostof1ce 100, Immediately saw that there were
strong prejudices against packages; Tho first man
AID that ono OF my papers ought 70 have been
made out in French. / inquired whether It was
always necessary 10 engage special translator every
dine one desired 70 mall package. lie answered
gIooniiY that Il was Here another man oame up ana
6notrd ne package over. He said that he was for
foreying mo the translator but It WA necessary that