Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-07
WHY THEY co ASTRAY
CareIessness in Preparing
Packages for the Mails.
OFTEN NOT PROPERLY TIED
The Matter Should Never Be
Sealed Up.
CERTAIN WRITING ALLOWED
Nothing in the Way of Correspond
ence Permitted Under the
Fourth-Class Rates.

eff the people would only display little
more care in dispatching their packages
and parcels through the mails they would
save themselves, and, incidentally, the
| postal employees. a great deal of trou-
| BILE" said an official of the city post of
flee to Star reporter
The principal trouble with this fourth
class matter is that the senders do not
take the trouble to affix sufficient NUM-
Der of stamps thereon, but take it for
granted that their conclusion as to the
exact weight is correct. This is where
they make the one great mistake. This
| is largely why these packages are de-
tanned sin the various post offices for in
sufficient postage, and why they do not
reach the hands Of their addresses.
Il will give you suggestion as to the
| dIspatching Of fourth class matter which
the public should we'll bear in mind
Fourth class matter includes all merchan-
disc and all other matter not compre-
hended in the first three classes. When
this class of matter is sealed-and many
people make the mistake of sealing it
and affiXing only fourth-class matter
rate of postage-it becomes <first-class
| matter, subject to this, or letter, rate of
| postage.
The rate of postage for fourth-class
matter, unsealed, is l cent for each ounce,
! Or fraction thereof except seeds bulbs
roots, scions and plants, which are l cent
for each two ounces fraction Full pre-
| payment of postage is required, and the
| limit of weight is four pounds, except it
| be single book.
Hints About Fourth-C Glass Mail.
Fearing this in mind. the sender Of
fourth-class matter should wrap the par
eel carefully according to it's contents
The wrapping is very important and
these instructions should be followed. as
1t may save the parcel from being I'M
| malable:
| IT should be wrapped as to safely
| bear transmission without breaking or
| inJuring the mail bags or the contents
| thereof, or the persons who may be called
uron to handle It, Many articles such as
calendars. drawings, spectacles watches
books &c, are damaged in the mail fo1.
the reason that they are not securely and
suH isen. wrapped to withstand the
necessarily subjected. The public should
| remember that such articles are thrown
INTO bags with other mail matter, and
the trains do not stop the bags contain
| ing them are thrown from fast-moving
| trains upon the ground.
| ourth- class matter, as well as the
| second and third classes should he so
wrapped or enveloped that the contents
| may be examined easily by the postal
employees When 1t is not so wrapped or
when it contains or bears writing not au
thoriZed by law the matter will be treat
| ed as of the first class. Next to the in
su1hcient postage difficulty comes the
question of address, and the suggestion
| now given should be borne in mind in
| every instance.
Write the addresses very clearly, fully
and distinctly. On the wrapper envelone
| tag or label in addition to the name and
| the address of the addressee, there may
| De written or printed the name occupa-
ton and residence or business address of
| the sender, preceded by the word from
| as well as any marks numbers, names
and letters for the purpose of descrip-
non. and any printed matter which is not
| in the nature Of personal correspondenca
| Afhx the stamps the address side Of
the parcel, and not on the back or the
slde, as so very many persons seem to
delight in doing. This causes great in
| convenience In properly stamping and
postmarking the parcel. OF course, where
! the parcel is very small the stamps or
some OF them have to go on the side or
the back but don't make a practice of
| this bad habit in wrongly affixine stamps.
Permissible Writing.
The written designation of the contents
of the package is permissible such as
Samples candy cigars etc, but the
abbreviation 'mdse' or the full word 'mer-
chandise' answers all purposes Remem-
Der, If any writing goes in its becomes first
| class, but certain other Enclosures NAV go
in without changing its original status
Thus, in package of fourth-class matter
~
| the sender may inclose any mailable mat
| ter of the third class A single card bear
| ing the written name Of the sender, and
| such inscription as Merry Christmas
Happy New Year with best wishes etc
| may also be Enclosed with fourth-class
| matter without affecting it's classification
1t is better however, for the public to
try to stick to each class of matter indi-
| vidually, and not to attempt to take adj
vantage of the few exceptions which affect
the interchangeability of the various
lrlo e1a-e nft No.
| regards this fourth-class matter may be
| better appreciated when it is understood
that about half million pieces of this
class find their way to the dead letter
| office for one cause or another annually.
These remarks are confined principally
| to questions of postage and address, as to
| which the casual observer would suppose
the senders would be the most particular
When 1 tell you that no less than %, 600
parcels yearly come to the dead letter
The ooS or yearH eag M
same office unaddressed, and $4,000 are
| annually held up for the want of suffi-
| my suggestions have an important bearing
upon the public's handling of this class of
mail matter.
Foreign Mail Matter.
There are so many regular and substa-
tions. and other places in cities and towns
where mail matter may be weighed, that
you would think the senders of parcels
would avail themselves thereof Many par
GELS designed for abroad, but which are
prohibited entry into the foreign mails and
of these about $4,000 annually find their
way to the dead letter office. when in nearly
all instances the senders of these foreign
parcels could have been fully advised by
making preliminary inquiry at post offices
or stations, and all of this trouble avoided.
Then great many parcels are deposited in
the mails of excessive weight and dimen-
sions. which fact could also be discovered
If first presented at a stamp window and
inquiry made.
In addition to the specified instances
have given you, tens of thousands of par
GELS are yearly unclaimed at the various
post offices for different causes, all of
which go to the dead letter office instead
of into the addresses hands. In a great
majority of cases all Of this great accumu-
lation of mail could be avoided by little
forethought and little time given by the
senders. So you see the preliminary ham
ding Of fourth-class matter has a great
deal to do with the proper delivery of this
more or less bulky class of mail.
1.-THE large number of packages intended
for foreign parts of which I have briefly