The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-07-01
CARRIERS MUST NOT SOLICIT
Recent Order Issued BY Postmaster
General Payne.

Orders from Postmaster General Payne
have been received by the local post
office, regarding the conduct of rural let
ter carriers. These orders are issued in
ing into effect on July l, 1904. This act
forbids the rural carriers from solicit
ing any kind of express business or re-
ceiving orders for any kind of business
house, during the hours of their employ
ment as carriers. At the same time car
riers are allowed by the act to carry
merchandise for hire by the request of
patrons along their routes and for these
patrons, whenever such business does not
interfere with the proper discharge of
their official duties. The detailed regu-
lations of such traffic are felt by the act
to the discretion of the postmaster gen.
eral.
The postmaster general rules that the
carriers are to transport for hire on re-
quest of the patrons, only such articles
as are not mailable Articles that are
mailable must be paid for in advance like
all mail, with the single exception ow
country newspapers. Under the law
country newspapers may be carried free,
throughout the county in which they are
published, to actual subscribers.
Carriers cannot receive pay from the
seller of merchandise for transporting
his merchandise.
The pay for the carrying of mailable
articles must 60 to the government Even
to get articles and packages that are
not mailable, the carriers are not permit
ted to leave their routes. People who
wish to have the carriers take such ar
ticles must themselves deliver these ar
ticles to the carrier. A carrier is not
permitted to receive for transportation
for hire any article that will at all inter
fere with his official duties. Carriers
are not allowed to carry spirituous Ii
quors for their patrons; neither can they
carry such liquors along their routes for
their own use.
Passengers must not be carried by
rural carriers over their routes while on
duty, either with or without hire, but
post office inspectors and other duly ac-
credited agents of the government are to
be taken by the carriers over the routes,
whenever these agents require it.
Rural carriers cannot engage in the
business of selling sewing machines, soil
citing insurance, or in any other kind of
business which offers the temptation of
doing their soliciting during the hours
in which the government pays them to
carry mail. Even during hours in which
they are not engaged in government SER
vice, they cannot engage in such lines of
business, in which the fact that they are
rural carriers would give them special
advantage over their competitors.
Carriers are forbidden to solicit money
or gifts or presents, directly or Indirect
ly; nor are they allowed to issue for
profit any souvenirs or ostalhandbooks;
nor are they allowed to assist publish
ers of such souvenirs or postal hand
books to secure the patronage of the
public; nor to compile directories for
public use, nor assist publishers to COM
pile them; nor are they permitted to
furnish information regarding names and
addresses of the patrons along their
routes, except to government officials,
who are entitled to such information.