Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-09-04
]. PLUVIUS RESPONSIBLE.
Continued Rains Have Cost Gov
eminent Thousands in Redeem
ing Ruined Postage Stamps.
Parafflne Paper No safesuard-Thous-
ands OF Stamps III the Little Book
let's Ruined in Effort to Separate
Thorn.

The continued rains of the past three or
Tour months have cost the government
| thousands Of dollars in rcdeeming ruined
postage stamps This is the first time that
the elements have interfercd with the pos
tal service to any extent, but the damp
and moist weather that has prevailed
| along the Atlantic coast all spring and
summer has just about broken up the
| business of the department i'm the sale of
postage stamp books, says the Washing
ton orrespcndent Of the Brooklyn Eagle.
Early in the spring postmasters in vari-
Gus parts OF the Eastern States wrote to
the department. reporting that many com
| plants were being received that the
stamps put up in little booklets were stick
| ms to the paraftine sheets. and that thous-
ands OF them were ruined in the efforts to
separate them. Soon letters of this char
acter began to pour into the office of Third
Assistant Postmaster General Madden,
who has charge of this branch of the pos
tai service. and he began to suspect that
something must be wrong with the quail
ity OF mucilaye employed on the stamps
or with the parafflne paper. He directed
that an investigation be made, but in the
meantime the delugc of complaints. ac-
companicd by booklets filed with guuniod
up stamps continued with such force that
prompt action
About a month ago Mr. Madden issued a
circular to all postmasters, authorizing
them to redeem damaged stamps sold ia
book form. and to forward the injured
stock to WASHINGTON. The officials were
astounded to see the quantity of stuck-up
stamps that were shipped to the depart
mont. but as fast as they came in they
were sent over to the bureau of engraving
and printing where they had been origin
ally printed and put into little books
There is no private contractor to fall back
on, so Uncle Sam has tc bear the entire
loss Experiments that have been made
during the past three weeks and the ex-
pericnce of last year, when trouble
was found with the stamps whatever,
prove that the rainy weather is responsible
for the destruction and the officials are
laying the blame of J. Pluvius.
James H. Reeves. chief of the postage
stamp supplies division of the postofiice
department. said to the Eagle correspon-
ocnt to-day that there was no question
, that the excessively damp season Of the
past three months was responsible for all
, the damage to postage stamps Last
: year" he said, there was not a single
complaint of the kind that We are now re
, ceiving by the thousand. despite the fact
r that we started the scheme then for the
Grst time. Some little fault was found
with the paraflne paper that we used be-
H
irr 49, :. r.o,. zoo hoo,,;I,, noo+d II ~
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; of licking each stamp needed to get off all
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Pn"N' "'"' u.e "edt'i'' - Wy
q used. Mr. Madden and his chief clerk and
DO I as well as the chief clerk of this division.
4 have all carried these stan!p books about
o,r oervope ~, on,Latu ubcra tbav wouI1