The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1905-08-10


rule, has no influence; and custom as
sumes an undue Importance The re-
suit is tendency, characteristic Of all
departments of the public business, to
become clogged with rules and entan-
gled in petty details, to the great detri-
ment both of speed and of economy.
-.
Families living in large towns or
cities have sometimes been asked by
their letter carrier to buy tickets to
picnic, excursion, concert, ball or
ether entertainment. Even if the re-
quest has not been formally made, the
tickets, with the price plainly printed
on them, have been left at the house.
1t is not generally known that such
distribution of tickets is forbidden by
the postoffice department. Indeed.
even those who have known of tho
prohibition have seldom been inclined
to complain against the postman who
has delivered their mail daily in rain
and shine for years. At the beginning
of the season of picnics and excursions
this year the Postmaster General call
ed the attention of the postmasters to
the regulation, and said he would hold
them responsible for its enforcement
The regulation applies to rural-free-
delivery carriers as we'll as to those
in cities; but on the ruralfree-delivery
routes the carriers have certain privi-
leges of their own. They may carry
articles or packages of unavailable
merchandise for hire for and upon the
| request Of patrons residing ON their
respective routes"
Now and then one gets an amusing
glimpse of the variety of duties which
the President is called upon to perform
While he was settling the difference
between Assistant Secretary LOOMS
and Minister Bowen, and deciding
what should be done in the case of the
Santa Fe Railroad Company, and ar
ranging for peace conference be-
tween Russia and Japan, q delegation
of Gloucester fish merchants called
upon him to complain of the conduct
of the mackerel These inconsiderate
fish, formerly very regular in their
habits, have lately become dissipated
and erratic. They take long and fire.
quent vacations, without giving any
indication as to where they are going
or when they will return, and in other
ways give evidence Of leading double
| life. The Gloucester fish merchants,
who have SO often fed these mackerel
and looked after them so tenderly, are
naturally hurt They want the Presi-
dent to get after the rebellious schools
with his big stick. and compel the
mackerel to be good; and he promised
to have the fish commission make an
| investigation.
Picture postcards, which are now
so plentiful, bring to the government
a most profitable line of postal bust
ness. The rate, at a cent each for
carrying them through the mail,
amounts to about one dollar and a
quarter a pound, varying somewhat
with the weight Of the card. This
compares advantageously with the
cent a pound on newspapers. the 8
cents on books, and the 16 cents on
merchandise. Letter mail would pay
twice the postal-card rate, even if ev-
cry letter weighed its full ounce The
collecting habit, in other ways, brings
to the Treasury many an honest pen
n.y. The postcard craze, which is the
newest collecting habit and the most
recent source of revenue, leads small
communities to see what they have in
the way of natural beauty or Of artistic
work that deserves wide circulation.
-:
In the navies of nearly all the mari
time nations, except Great Britain and
the United States, it is still the Gus
tom to deal out to the sailors double
portion of grog when they are about to
go into action. The custom arose in the
days when vessels dashed themselves
! together and the men fought hand to
hand. The grog was supposed to stir
them to unaccustomed fury. In these
days of long range fighting. when clear
heads and steady hands are essential
nothing could be more unfortunate
than the allowance of grog; yet it is
reported that the Russian sailors re-
ceived double portion before they en-
tered the fight of the Sea of Japan.
Heavy receipts in June resulted in a
surplus of S13,OO0,000 in the Treasury
operations of that month, and reduced
the deficit from $37,0O0,eO0 to about
s24.0OO,OO0 for the fiscal year. Re-
ceipts were about the same as In the
previous year, but there was a con-
siderable increase of expenditures in
the War, Navy and Postoffice Depart
ments.
The war department has recently
given an order which appeals to the
finest sentiment. The post commander
at Fort McHenry has been directed
to ascertain the exact position of the
Mole from which fioated the flag which
suggested to Francis Scott Key 1.-The
! star-spangled Banner" Tie officers
and enlisted men ct the post wish to
erect stone to mark the spot