Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-06-19


Sc rapidly has grown the business of
the community that the county seat,
with less than 5000 people, will soon
have free delivery. Wherever it was
possible the deposed postmaster or
sub-star route contractortewas given
opportunity to have, himself or one of
his family designated as. a rural free
delivery carrier, and his pay is thrice
the amount he could earn at either of
the other callings.
These are few of the recent re-
forms in the office of the first assist
ant postmaster general. Marked re-
form in other departments of the
service have, been, made, but. they can
not be touchedembohS here. os'tS
In all this work there has been the
unfailing cooperation and approval by
Postmaster General Charles Emery
Smith. Called to the editorial tripod
an editor, he has kept in close touch
with the people. In no respect has
this been SO manifest as in his approval
OF the efforts to extend rural free de-
livery thruout the United States.
After the Lotteries.
The May Postal Guide shows that
the government is still after the lot
terry men, and that about as fast as one
promoter of chance is bulletined anoth-
er springs up. Orders have been is
sued against one Pierre Longtin, of
Quebec; Carl Farnow, of Hamboech,
Germany; ODER S, Sarkany and Ar
mold Martony, of Budapesth, Hungary.
The instructions to postmasters are
that they shall not certify any postal
money orders to these parties, and they
are directed to inform the remitter
that payment thereon will be forbid
den and that the amount will be re-
turned on presentation of duplicate
money orded applied for and obtained
under the postal regulations. They are
futher instructed to return all letters,
whether registered or otherwise, and
other mail matter which shall arrive
at the office at which they are origin
ally mailed, to be delivered to the send
ers thereof, with the word 'fraudu,
lent" plainly written or stamped on
the outside of such letters. The dead
letter Office is to get the letters that
have no return card.
Mandatory instructions are issued to.
postmasters to return promptly all
letters uncalled for at the expiration
of the time requested on the, return
card. If there is no time mentioned
they should not be held longer than
thirty days, with an endorsement OF
the reasons for non-delivery.
The government has established a
postal station at Paris during the eN-
position. Patrons may draw domestic
orders payable at the above station,
and it will issue orders on the United
States, ~ e;.,s,, III.
1t has been brought to the notice of
the department that in numerous in
stances payees of international money
orders have presented for payment
the receipt in coupon form instead of
the money ORDER the presentation of
the coupon would show that the wrong
form was delivered to the remifter.
Such errors delay payment and cause
dissatisfaction with the money order
service, as payment has to basmade.
by duplicate orders for thesissue OF
which a fee is usually charged. Care is
enjoined.
In regard to the issue OF mail keys,
the Guide says 1.-THE department in
issuing mail keys to postmasters and
those authorized by law to use them
endeayors to impress upon their atten-
ton the Importance of the trust COM
'mitted to their care. Therefore, when
a key is lost thru negligence or care
lessness, or permitted to be stolen by
failure to use the safeguards which the
regulations enjoin, an offense is COM
mitted which may be productive of
grave consequences to the public SER
vice.
'In order to prevent this as far as
possible, and secure the careful hand
ling of mail keys, notice is hereby
given that in all future cases, where
such losses occur rigid investigation
will be ordered, and the postoffice in
spector detailed to the case be directed
to make recommendation for the re-
moval OF the delinquent, if the facts
justify such action"
Liquids may now be sent to foreign.
countries, and may be received there
from. The method of packing is to use
a thick glass bottle, Theoretically seal
ed, and containing q liquid of fatty
substances and placed in y cavity made
in solid block of wood, the cavity be-
ing covered by a lid which can be re-.
moved without withdrawing nails OF
screws and the bottle being tightly
surrounded by spongy matter sufficient
to absorb all the liquid if the bottle
should break. The block need rot be
enclosed in second case in order ITO
be admitted to international mails at
the postage rate applicable to samples
in the mails. .
vvnpla Not Susfa. 60 Am.v., ~. u....