Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-20
PACKAGES BY MAIL
HINTS TO THOSE SENDING
CHRISTMAS PRESENTS.
More Going Through the City Post
Office This Year Than
Ever Before.

out of town friends is an evidence of pros
perity, as well as an indication of friendly
feeling and regard, Washington's holiday
export trade of this character this year tes-
titles to the activity of the people Of the ma
tional capital
The offices of the express companies are
piled high with consignments, while the
packages have poured into the Washington
city post office at the rate of thousands a
day Last year there were mailed In the
city post office and it's stations approximate
ly 10000 packages a day for seven days
preceding Christmas, the highest number
being on any one single day about 44V0O
packages on the 23d. while on Christmas
day about 5000 belated presents were drop
ped into the mail bags.
This year the times are equally good. II
not better, and the weather good, Probably
a fair estimate of the Christmas package
output by the mails alone from Washington
this year will approximate 5000 day for
the seven days preceding Christmas, and
will probably run up to 10000 on the I'D, or
the second day before Christmas, upon
which day so many persons endeavOr to
mail their packages so that they will arrive
in the Christmas morning deliveries.
At the city post office there have been at
all hours of the day several lines Of persons
before the stamp windows all with pack
once. In the respect that those who send
packages through the mails should have
them first carefully weighed this precaution
Is well taken, but there are other matters
relating to packages which are equally i'm
portant which the post office officials wish
the public to regard. but which are over
looked in so many instances that word of
caution is particularly apropos at Christ
mas, and holds good at all times.
Christmas Presents by Mail.
Clerks at the Washington city post office
stated to a Star man this morning that
the great fault as regards packages is that
the public persist in sealing or fastening
the wrappers. BY so doing they make their
packages unavailable at 1 cent an ounce,
as sealed packages become sealed, or first
class matter, subject to letter rates. Pack
ages may be securely tied with a string,
but must positively not be sealed to go at
package rates.
Again, fimsy and soft wrappers inse-
curely tied up are responsible for thou
sands of packages going astray People
will bring their packages direct from the
store where the purchase is made to the
city post office or to the numerous sta
tions, and send them away in this insecure
condition. If an article is worth giving
at all or is worth the payment of postage
it should be properly wrapped and tied in
a suitable manner and in paper sufficiently
strong to Withstand the wear and tear of
transmission.
The clerks say that people always seem
to be in a hurry when they present their
packages for mailing, and this results In
incorrectly written and illegible addresses,
stamps and other errors trivial in them
selves but sufficient to cause the package
to be lost or misdelivered.
Rules as Regards Packages.
AS this is the season when nearly every
body's mind is on presents and packages, it
Is worth while to recall that the limit Of
weight of a mailable package is four
pounds, except in the case of single books
exceeding this limit and that size does not
especially figure unless the package is in
tended for foreign lands, and then size
counts and there are postal rules which
should be carefully inquired into at the post
office
Most anything not harmful in itself or to
the mails, like explosives and certain Ii
guilds and offensive articles, may be sent
in a package by mail from cut flowers to
geological specimens, queen bees and lady
bugs when properly packed. The packing
of articles out of the ordinary should al
ways be inquired into at the post Office, as
certain articles are barred when not prop
erly packed, and are admissible when pack
ed according to the regulations.
Do not write upon your package Merry
Christmas "A happy new year" With
love-" or From papa ETC., as this makes
it unavailable except at letter rates. Write
no more than the address. ana write that
very plainly and fully. and you may put
your own name and address preceded by the
word FROM in fact, it is good plan to do
so in all cases, but no more writing than
this
The postage must be fully prepaid by
stamps affixed on all packages, and they
should not be placed upon the back of the
packages; sufficient room should be left on
the face Of the package for this purpose.
N do Yna no ant
letter postage is fully prepaid thereon. 1t
is not advisable, though not prohibited, to
attach tags with the address written there
on, as the tags may become torn off, and
the package in consequence sent to the
dead letter office.
If these few rules as to packages are OBJ
served much loss of property, time and
money will be saved, to say nothing of the
annoyance and of making inquiries and
tracing the lost package