The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-04-28

The Seattle postorice has not yet re-
cefved any information from the postof1ice
department at Washington relative 10 the
governmental assumption OF limited re-
sponsihiliry for registered mail matter, al
though II is believed that the recent ruiz
ing on the subject will become enecuVe
July l. the beginning of the new nscal
year. Postmaster Meem and Assistant
Postmaster Colkett both stated Yesterday
that they had received no Official informa-
ton on the subject, although both were
informed that on the date named the new
order OF things would become operative
The law upon which the government VIII
assume responsibility in relation TO regis
tered packages was one OF the last passed
by the Fifty-fourth congress and signed
by President Cleveland. II provides for
the payment OF limited indemnity for the
loss OF registered mail matter. Twenty
seven of the principal countries in the
postal union hold themselves responsible
for a limited amount for such losses, and
different postmaster generals OF the
United States have recommended the
adoption OF the system.
The primitive manner of registering
mail was good deal Ike bunco game.
You paid your money for registering and
the letter or package was marked and put
in the ordinary mail. Any thievishly in
clined postoffice employee could take out
the packet. which apparently was marked
so he could identify IL easily. Then the
present plan was devised. by which every
person who handles a Registered package
turns in a receipt for II.
That lessened the chances of loss. but
still the government was not giving full
value for the registration fee it received.
II registered mail was lost the sender had
no legal redress. When the responsibility
for the loss could be traced to one person.
he he
PEELED 10 make the loss good. usually did
so in order to keep his position, for he
could be DISMISSED for carelessness.
Now Uncle Sam proposes TO pay up to
80 for lost registered mail. The drain on
his pocket won't he great II this system
had been pursued last year he would nave
paid only $3.50 on this account. There
were $50 investigated cases of actual loss
10 the public. and of the cases yet 10
be examined 1t is estimated that seventy
eight would have shown money loss max
Ing the total as
There were carried last year more than
100000 domestic and foreign addressed
registered letters and packages, and the
number OF complaints OF lost articles was
only SSH This includes loss of govern
meat mail. as well as that of the public.
OF the 4.50l cases which were investigated
during the year recovery was made in all
but 1850 cases. or these ,155 were losses
by unavoidable CAUSES, such as burning or
wrecking of mail cars; 100 by theft of en-
ployeS; 122 by carelessness of employees:
23l by depredations by outsiders, and l52
the responsibility for which could not be
fixed.
1t is expected that the new system will
increase the Registered mail business
greatly. The fees last year amounted TO
ss75. 3sS S.
Some postoffice people think the express
companies viii be hard hit by the indem-
nifty feature of the governments registra-
ton business For the government car
ries a registered package all over the
country FOR inform rate. while the ex-
press companies charges vary with the
distance and also INCLUDE a percentage Of
the contents If money be sent. On the
other hand, while the express companies
pay losses for which they are responsible,
tie government Will pay only up to $40.
The matter OF Insurance OF registered
mail Is entirely apart frcm that Of in1em-
nifty for losses. Foreign governments upon
the payment OF an additional fee will in
sure the sender against loss. thus adding
to the payments OF limited liability The
United States government has not intro
duced the Insurance feature, and probably
will not There are two or three COM
panies in New York which do an insur-
ance business In mail matter and in ex-
press packages as well.