Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1892-08-04
THE DEAD LETTER OFFICE.

In the L. 5. Postal Guide for July |,
1892, is found series of most timely
and important suggestions to all pat
rons of the mail service, which If
promptly observed and strictly adhered
to would Conduce wonderfully to the
happiness of the people and the eff
ticiency of the postal service in the
United States and all other countries;
and perhaps more than any other pro-
posed reform would tend to materially
lessen the expenses of our government
as well as our people individually by
entirely relieving our Postal Depart
ment of the enormous expense of a
Dead Letter office and thus greatly aid
ing in bringing about the much talked
of, one cent postage, as direct saving
to the people. Though that office
might not be wholly dispensed with the
heavy burden now laid upon it and the
great expense necessarily connected
with IL might be easily reduced to q
mere nominal sum compared with the
present requirements. No one is re-
SpOnsible for the enormous expense of
our Dead Letter Office but the dear
people, who by carelessness and neg
lect fail TO place on their letters and
parcels mailed, the proper and full ad-
dress, together with the much needed
return card on upper left hand corner
of enyelOp OF same place on every pack
age giving the full name and address
of the sender of letter or parcel, SO that
in case of failure in delivery it may be
returned in due time direct to the send
err. The pasted label so much used by
publishers is all right when used with
care, but when used with carelessness,
as ia so often the case, it becomes one
of the greatest pests the mail services
has to do with from the fact that by
being piled together before the paste
becomes dry so many Of those labels
adhere to the other papers and thus be-
come torn off or SO dtfaGed as to be
useless, leaving the paper or periodical
without any address to 60 astrayi while
if the address is at first plainly written
or printed on the body of the paper OF
periodical it stays to the end of the
journey. While negligence and care
lessness has much to do with postal
errors, ignorance of how to address and
| prepare letter or parcel properly fol
| mailing plays most important part
| Very many have not had the proper
opportunity for knowing the right way
| to do this never having been taught
either at home or at school, this most
| important life lesson. Herein not only
our parents but our public school teach
ers and public school men are often at
| fault and greatly to blame for this grea,
ignorance in little things which Otter
causes so much disappointment and
| loss in life on account of misdirected
mail matter, an ignorance which can
not be winked at with Indifference
Proper instruction with practical illus
tration in this line should always &C
company the first lessons in penman
ship in the primary department of oul
public schools and should also be re
quired as an important test in that titl'
to a diploma from our common schools
colleges and universities. During the
past year the official reports show thai
more than 6,S0OO00 pieces of origina
dead mail matter were received and dis
posed of in the dead letter Office a
Washington D. c., an increase of 81,
900 pieces. 1t thus requires an i'm
mense force and cost to make amend
for ignorance as a people in this regard
1t is surely high time we were all care
fully studying and applying the pr
mary principles OF this most import
ant reference as set forth in the follow
ing practical suggestions:
DON'TS.
FROM JULY 1892 MONTHLY POSTAL
GUIDE.
Don't mail any letter until you ar
sure that it is completely and properl
addressed.
Don't place the address so that ther
will be no room for the post mark.
Don't fail in the hurry of business
to write the name of the State you IL
tend and not your oBn-a very con
mon error
Don't fail to make certain that you