Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-05-21
IT COSTS TO BE CARELESS.
Surprising Result Of an Inquiry unto
Reckless Methods OF Men.

Surprising Result Of an Inquiry into
Reckless Methods OF Men
The somewhat mclodramatic if not grew
some sound in the title dead letter office
the report Of which the government binds
in pink cover tneariy rct9, seems appra-
PIRATE To the matter. This is information
of the kind that She social student or his
totlan of civilization might find valuable
The namber of pieces of mail matter OF
All kinds that came to the dead letter Of
hcc in the last fiscal year was 0,ll3.-
o@S, THIS was an increase of 81, per cent
over the previous year. While the per
cent. of increase necessarily dnniniShcs
each yc;r, the superintendent says COM
p0rl>on IF the reports for Il series Of
years shows heavy and continuous IN
cltasc each year, that il. we are getting
more careless instead of less So. Abou.
seycn-tcnths of the total was ordinary un-
claimed letters, which shows an increase
OF per ccnt over the previous year
Ordinary letters returned from foreign
countries increased Ito per cent Letters
with return address Increased slightly
There was aH increase of nearly / Der
cent. in the number of letters and parcels
held for postage. Mistlirectcd letters
and here = one of the strongest arrnign-
mt hts of our Intelligence numbered Ga4,-
oI tthis did aot include postal cardsl,
which was an increase of 20 per cent.
and is unprecedented. And who would
think that in the course of the year IS
!c|i persons had been so hscnt-minded as
To mail matter with no address nj all (aud
among 1t letters with money, jewels, etcl
l'nt So II was last year In round num-
hers about 100 letters day last year
were posted without addresses.
Letters sent to hotels and failing Of de-
livery numbered 3lO,i9G, and this was Il
slight decrease from the previous wear.
There were il,oI1 letters and packages
sent 10 fictitious addresses: this was n de.
crease from the year before of nearly
10000 Int IN that year there had been
transient causes (Whut, the superinteud-
cnt docs not saw u phenomenal Increase
OF more than $1,000
About the same amount Of money went
aStray as in previous years S4S,G3l .Ul.
II caWr in II. 1i6 letters Besides this
there was Sl,l93. 1t3.ti1 in drafts, money
orders. checks, etc. There were deeds
Wills pension certificates, insurance poli-
cjc> and such things that found their way
60 the dead letter office Nearly 3.Nun.
Geo pieces OF matter were held awaiting
delivery or filed because they could not
he delivered. aud this was an increase of
about lII,OuO. The great amount of this
matter Is due TO the faimre of the writer's
/ 10 give tucU names ana addresses and the
sending of advertising aud printed matter
under seal (which must he destroyed
also, hecaUsc large per cent. of the
parcels do not contain merchandise but
Catalogues aud the like. medicines aud
pcr>hable articles, which must he de-
stloycd.
Among other things that went to the
( postohce graveyard were SO.O3g photo
graphs anal 2i0.255 pieces of matter in
1 which were postage stamps nm increase
ct nearly 10 per cent. Here is another
/ curious thing: There We're separated
from letters in the mail aud found loose
in the mail and in postollic2s SJS2l 80
worth of stamps that could not he re-
turned / it is any consolation to those
81 us that hayc waited for THE letter that
never camc,' il is to he noted that the
( superintendent says that about 1000
manuscript communications were received
hE tn" oilirc pertaining tn the treatment
Of mail matter indianapolis News