Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-12-21
MRS. H. F. TIBBETTS, AUGUSTA
.CHRISTMAS MAIL.
Advice to People Who Are About to
Send Away Packages.
No Writing Inside Permissible Things That
You May Send.

great many people who are mailing
| Christmas packages do not quite under
| stand about what is permissible in the
way of writing accompanying Christmas
gifts.
| The general rule of the government re-
! garding all articles dn the mail. is thai
| the whole package, no matter what i,
| may contain, is subject to the highest
rate of postage which might be charged
| on any article therein. So if n package
of clothing be put in the mall and inside
! the bundle were a letter, the whole would
be subject to letter postage at the rate OF
two cents for every ounce.
If letter were placed inside of a book,
the rate would then be the same rate oil
letter postage; whereas in the first case.
| unaccompanied by the letter, the clothing
would go at the rate of one cent an
ounce as merchandise; while in the case
of the book it would be two ounces for
the cent.
This is not understood by great many
people. and packages are received at ev-
cry post office and as they are all sub
ject ITO rating up, very often happens
that a package which has been started
at a low rate of postage is either rated
up at the office of mailing or at the office
of destination, making it unpleasant for
all parties concerned.
This often happens from the fact that
when asked what the package contains
ait the mailing window, the sender will
speak of it as books or merchandise,
without mentioning the writing; whereas
a sender should always be particular to
state if it contain any writing and ex-
actly what the wraing may be.
The permissible writing upon matters
Of the third class. which is printed mat
ter books, etc, upon the wrapper or en-
velope enclosing the same, or the tag or
label attached thereto, the sender may
write his own name or address, preceded
by the word from He may also call
attention by marks to paragraphs, etc;
and there may be placed upon the blank
leaves or cover of any book or printed
matter a simple manuscript dedication or
explanation, not in the nature of per-
sonal correspondence.
In packages of merchandise the sender
may enclose any mailable books or print
ed matter and may write upon the wrap
per or cover thereof or tag or label ac-
campaigning the same, his name and ad-
may print thereon any printed matter not
in the nature of personal correspondence.
Under the United States law postmas-
tiers are ordered to carefully examine
packages before mailing and ascertain
that no matter chargeable to the first
class lis included; and they are required
to examine and rate up ahe same at first
class rates wherever the statute has been
violated and collect such charge Of post
age on delivery.
IL is therefore Il great deal safer TO
omit writing from such packages, except
SO far as to designate who the contents
may be for; if writing appears in any
way to frankly state at the mailing win
dow exactly what 1T is, when the infor-
nation will be given whether or not It
requires extra postage.
In this connection, ali packages sent at
Christmas or any other time should be
firmly done up; and every package be-
sides the address of the person for whom
it is intended should contain on some
part of it the address of the sender pre-
coded by the word from This will al
most invariably return the package upon
its being lost or in any way misdirected
or mis-sent.
1t is better to ship all Christmas pack
ages "a day or two too early rather than
at the very last moment.