Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-19
HELD FOR POSTAGE
NEWSPAPERS THAT DO NOT GET
PAST THE POST OFFICE.
Must Be Fully Prepaid or They Cannot
Go Through the
Mails.

| I'VE have an exhibit here in the city post
office which ought. to interest every reader
| OF Washington newspapers" The speaker
| was Major James E. Bell superintendent
| Of the delivery system of the Washington
post ONCE, and he was leading the way to
the middle Of the first floor of the post
! office building as he spoke. When he had
gone few feet he turned and pointed to
| case which stood in an open space near
the readdressing desks. What the reporter
| OF The Star saw was series Of alcoves of
| twelve shelves EACH crammed with news
| papers.
IF you go over and examine those shelves
you Will find them full Of papers, most OF
them published here in Washington and
all properly addressed. The entire num-
| Der, however, is understamped and so must
| be held here in the Office There are from
fifty to seventy-ive such packages received
| here every day. Theoretically our interest
| in them ceases with the discovery that the
papers are not fully prepaid. The regula-
| lions provide, however that where the
packages are of obvious value we must
make some effort to notify the sender that
| his packet has not been forwarded because
| not properly stamped. That provision is
construed with enough liberality to enable
us to hold here the underpaid newspapers
Held for a Month.
1--WE try to keep these papers a month.
sorting them as to the date Of mailing.
Then when an addressor learns that his
paper has not reached the ADDRESSED and
comes here to inquire, why we try and hunt
out his paper. We can always find it If we
know the date of mailing, and nearly al
ways succeed otherwise If the addressor
guesses at the date. Then the deficient
postage Is paid and the paper starts on its
way perhaps two weeks late.
An idea prevails in o,os
other cities that any single issue of a pa
per can be sent through the mails for one
cent. Thls Is, of course. not true at an
The Star, for example-and there are MANY
copies of The Star in that case over there
goes for cent only when the issue Is four
teen pages or less. Sixteen pages or more
up TO twenty-eight pages, cost two cents,
and the Saturday issue, whenever it ex-
ceeds thirty pages, costs three cents
1t may be that postal regulation as to
the mailing Of single papers for delivery in
the town of issue has occasioned this con-
fusion. By the terms of that regulation
the publishers of The Star can send a sin
gle copy Of their paper anywhere in town
for cent. But the entire shipment of such
newspapers in Washington under that rul-
ing does not amount to IS week.
Unlocked for Finds.
Often and often We find the most unex-
pected articles bound up with papers. The
law directs us to open every such package
before throwing it away. Many contain
letters which the writer's have ATTEMPTED to
send in violation of a law known to every
one who reads the papers. In such in
stances we present letters, papers and
wrappers to the authorities for appropriate
criminal action. Many others have writing
on the margins, in which cases we simply
pay no attention to the packet either to
forward it or to notify the addressor In
some instances We find magazines, which
We deem articles of obvious value and ac-
cordingly notify the sender
Il was once walking past the destroy
basket you see there and picked up a paper
out Of the pile. The wrapper was torn, but
the papers had not been examined. When
1 opened 1t l found inside a $40 bill and
gold ring The wrapper was gone, but
we identified the sender and notified him
and the articles reached their rightful
owner"