The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-11-12
Due to Negligence Of Senders OF
Mail Matter.
4 LOSS OF TIME AND MONEY
Caused by Vague and Improper Al
dresses and Lack Of Dfrecuo"
for Return of UndeIivered Wat
TERRACES mi iafion for Dead Let
ter omce-Many Clerks Employed
searching for Local Addresses.

III individuals and business firms
throughout the country as well as IN tne
city would only make II rule 70 write
out fuller addresses on all their CORR
epondence. that is to say, give either
bog number or name OF street ana mum
her, they would not only cxpedite thel1
own business by insurirg deliveries from
twelve 10 twenty-four hours earlier than
AZ present possible but would also save
thu postoffice department thousands OF
dollars annually that are now paid out TOT
extra help kept busy searching through
city directories for probable addresses OF
persons whose only direction given Is
either city, or Seattle.
The foregoing Ia the daily prayer, more
or less embeilIshed with adjectives, that
rocs out from the heads of the depart
ments at the Seattle postofflce as they
weariiy gaze upon the rapidly accumulat-
ing piles of letters and papers the deliv-
cry OF which II rendered Impossible Tor
lack Of proper addresses, or delayed un-
III located In the directory The worst of
II. In that after all this extra cost Of labor
and loss Of time large percentage OF IT
remains unidentified and has finally to
go 70 the dead letter ONCE
Perhaps the only general remedy
can suggest in the matter said Assist
ant Postmaster Colkett yesterday, while
exhibiting the piles of mall matter Inn
properly addressed. would be for all
writer's OF letters 10 make II a rule to
place either their names or initials with
city and address in the upper left-hand
corner Of the envelope Firms should
invariably print their cards thereon. The
result OF this would be that all letters
falling to reach their destinations would
then be returned TO the address SO given
and in this way only very small per-
centage would ever find It's way TO the
dead letter ONCE. This system would also
avoid considerable modification to writ
ers Of compromising letters whose emu
sfons have to be opened by the ofYcals
hero M a last resort in order to return
them.
Causes ~ Delay.
I'm the distribution OF mail matter"
continued Mt. Colkett, everything, let
ter or paper, that has proper address
II At once thrown TO the carrier who de-
lives II within q few hours after its ar
rival. Improperly addressed matter. or
matter with no address at all except
wait until the extra force OF clerks en-
gagged In making researches through d.
rectories can reach H. This may vary
cording 10 the accumulation and the diff
fculties IN tho way OF locating the par
ties. II not found they go TO the dead
some 81 the greatest Offenders in this
matter OF improper addresses are many
Of our most pominent business hrms.
They viii send out letters and circulars
NV The hundred addressed prorniscuousiy
"a pnrties IN every part OF the city. but
inyariably leave on the street or num-
49, Enr Instance hook al these All
harrs mt no addresses are given other
thar .citv, johnson Mat Murphy,
AiSred swanson. G. White. Mr. Thomas,
Mts. smith WIN Kellv and 80 forth The
Itr~rtorv contains pnacs az almost every
49, ~ shsse na mes even with the same
Initials. 80 Ahow Is II possible for us TO
."es.o ssv 1890 fro,, ,ha rlerks al.
" NY "sha' ,'ap'',,as ana NJ, nersssari-
uressihs w snsss... n ,,s 49, an
~ me nrms Senn . .non, ussa,, rse,s
Tue seat.l. ,pt y. a. a. ~, a,ractor
nve ihen enp'os ~ ,.h an .r va am
cnlfy tnat tHty htep UP ttott uay ~ 'es