Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-03-30
INTERVENING POSTAL NEWS.
Postmaster Browne in Receipt of Impor
ant Notices From the Department


Postmaster Browne In Receipt OF Import
ant Notices From the Department at
Washington.
Postmaster Hugh G. Browne has re-
ceived two important notices from the
department at Washington, which will
be of interest to the public. One,
which is from Postmaster General
Smith, reads as follows:
THE postal laws and regulations are
hereby amended by the addition of the
following section:
"Section 1045l5. Postmasters dis
regarding Section 1045 of postal regu-
lations, by admitting to the mails and
dispatching from mailing postoffices
registered letters in unseBled or i'm
perfectly sealed envelopes; money or
valuable articles in registered package
envelopes without other cover; or in
envelopes or wrappers which are mani
testify not strong enough to safely carry
| Enclosures in the mails; may be held
responsible in cases where their neglect
of duty has caused loss or depreciation
which cannot be traced directly to
another person. The standard strength
for letter covers for coin or heavy
articles will be the same as described
in section 1041 of postal regulations.
Letters containing coins or heavy
articles of small size must be en-
veloped or wrapped so that the cover
will be as strong as the paper in regis
tered package envelopes. A silver
dollar, gold pieces, coin in bulk, or
heavy articles of medium or large size,
when sent in registered letters, must
be sewed in canvas or covered with
material of equal strength and then
wrapped in strong paper, pasted or
wax sealed in every part. No letter
should be accepted for registration
which bears the appearance of having
been opened and resealed. Postmasters
should recommend to senders Of regis
tered letters to write their names
across the sealed flaps of envelopes OIL
seal with wax. "
The second communication, which is
from N. NJ. Brooks, superintendent Of
foreign mails, reads as follows:
THE British Office has advised this
department that by reason of the large
number of short paid letters noticed il
mails received from the United States,
an investigation of the matter has beer
made, from which it appears that or
an average ons letter in every 25 re
ceived from this country is short-paid
while from some other countries thu
|
double the amount of deficient postag,
is required to be collected upon the de
livery of short-paid letters, the ad
dresses of such letters frequently refus
, to receive them and the letters are re
turned to this country as unbelievable
l to the annoyance of the postal official
as well as the senders. 1t is presume,
that many cases of short pay ment ma
be attributed to the fact that the uni
of weight for the letter rate of postag
. in our domestic mails is an ounce
while in international mails it is onl
, half an ounce. The evil would prob
ably be remedied to q great extent
:. the attention of the public we're Gale
: to the difference between the unit {
weight in our domestic mails and tn
!, unit of weight in international mails
The postage rate for letters for foreig
:. countries is five cents for each ha
: ounce or fraction thereof, and if tn
postage upon letters is not paid in flu
at that rate, double the deficiency mus
be paid by the addresses, or the letter
!, are not Delivered