The evening times., 1899-10-30
NAIL THAT GOES ASqRAY
Insufficient Addresses Causing the
POs.0fIice Much Trouble.
Soldiers' Letters q Special Bone of
Contcntion - People Complaining
About This Branch of the Service.
The Sender Generally at Fault.
How to Insure Safe Delivery.

Trouble has repeatedly arisen In the
matter Of undeiivered letters addressed te
| soldiers in the Philippines, and the Post
Office Department is constantly in receipt
of complaints from people here claiming
that sufficient attention is not given to this
branch Of the service. The fact is that In
all cases Of undelivered letters to the SOL
diers, the addresses are so meagre as to
preclude the possibility Of locating those
for whom they are intended.
In many cases simply the name is given
and the address, Manila. In many other
cases only the regiment is given for the
postal authorities guidance, and 1t often
occurs that the company only is indicated
or the position-private. corporal, ser
geant, ETC., Of the addressee.
In each case the letters are forwarded
throughout the various regiments in search
Of the proper owners, and many hundreds
are thus delivered which the postal au-
thorities, according to law. would be JUS
titled in returning to the senders. On ac-
count Of the scattered condition OF the
troops and the large number to be can
vassed before the proper party can be
found, 1t is impossible in many cases to
deliver these letters with unsatisfactory
addresses.
II there be a return card in the upper
lefthand corner of the envelope, as per-
mitted by law, the unclaimed letters are
returned direct to the senders; but other
wise they go into the Dead Letter Office
here the same as letters unclaimed in this
country. Here 1t frequently happens that
the address of the sender cannot be deter
mined from the letters contents and the
result is that the epistle is destroyed and
the department likely charged with insult
ficient attention to its patrons.
This unnecessary annoyance both to the
Postof1ce Department and the other par
ties concerned. has led the Postmaster
General to call public attention to the fact,
through the press and otherwise, that to
insure the safe delivery Of letters to SOL
diers or others connected with the United
States service in the Philippines, the same
must bear not only the name Of the ad-
dressee, but the full designation OF the
particular branch of the service to which
he belongs. namely: IL to soldier, it
must bear the name Of his company and
regiment; If to a sailor, the name Of his
vessel. and, If in any other branch of the
public service, the designation of that
branch.
The United States has established in both
Cuba and Porto Rico Dead Letter offices.
SO that mail which is sent from those
countries and not delivered here are re-
turned and opened in the division from
which originated. Thus far ii has not
been deemed advisable to establish such a
Dead Letter Department at Manila, but
soonor or later it will be done. The regu-
lations provide that no one shall open
mail except such as the Superintendent OF
the Dead Letter Office shall appoint and
at such places as he shall designate; and
that officer is very conservative in grant
ing authority for dealing with United
States mail in that manner.
AT present, letters from Manila to par
ties here who cannot be located. are sent
direct to the Dead Letter Office. and they
then receive the usual treatment.
Attention to the matter OF return cards
on the part of letter senders would also
save them much delay in learning Of the
undelivery of their mail, if the addresses
cannot be found.