Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-10-02
Il will Not Affect This Office.

Last evenings Mail under the caption
of Important Question" has the follow
ing. which will be of interest to our
readers:
The large increase of mail matter from
the Sawyer Publishing Co.. and the limit
ed quarters of the Waterville post Office
have combined to thrust one OF the most
important questions upon the post ONCE
department at Washington which II has
ever been called upon to consider. the de-
cision on which when it is rendered will
| concern millions of people all over the
UniteJ States. 1t is the question OF
whether prepaid mail matter can or can
| not be mailed on postal cars in large
quantities
| The large amount of third and fourth
class matter which the Sawyer Company
has been sending out of late has crowded
the narrow limits of the Wateryille Office
| to such an extent that good deal of this
matter has been left in the outer Office
| for several days at a ,ime before the crew
| could work 1t and get ii into shape to de-
| liver to the railway. mail clerks.
An idea struck Manager Terry that he
might take his stuff which was stamped,
including postal cards and unsealed let
tiers to the mail car himself. just the same
as any person who has a letter or a pack
age on which the required postage stamps
are placed takes that letter or package to
the station and places it in the station
box there or in the mail car. whichever
| is the, most convenient. There certainly
| SeeIIS ~ Dt HO SOOu ftdSou why, IL d per-
son has a right to mail one letter or pack
age on which the postage is prepaid every
night for 1000 nights. he has not the right
| to mail 100 at one time.
At least Mr.. Terry proposed to try the
plan, and accordingly a short time ago he
went to the train with three sacks filled
with stuff on which the postage was fully
prepaid by stamps all in proper shape.
| The clerk In charge of the car on that
particular run refused to take such a
| quantity of uncanceled matter. On be-
ing asked by what authority he refused
to take the mail. he frankly admitted that
he was not sure he had any right, only
that it would be impossible for the clerks
| in the car to cancel the stamps and at
tend to their other duties in working the
| regular mail of the trip.
| The action was referred to the New
| England superintendent of railway post
| offices. who, after. considering the two
sides of the QuestiQnsIcame to the conclu-
| sion that the matter was of too much i'm
has referred the case to the department
| at Washington.
| The decision of the department cannot
but be looked for with interest by people
all over the country. In case Mr.. Terry's
position is decided to be right, people will
still have the right to mail letters and
packages on the train, provided the post
age on the same is fully prepaid by
| stamps and letters contain no matter
which by law is excluded from the mail
| On the other hand, if the position of the
postal clerk in charge who refused to take
| Mr.. Terry's mail is sustained. then of
course it follows that people nowhere in
| the United States will have right to
| mail letters and packages on the train
| unless, or course, some provision Is made
| as to the number which a single person
may mail at any one time.