The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-11-09
FOUR DOLLARS
Was EASILY LOST
Man Who Thought he Knew "aIl
About IT, at the Postofflce Was
Shown Where He Was
Wrong.
WRITING IN EXPRESS
Il IL Unlawful to transmit Letters or
Writing BY Express Because
Of Competing With
Mails.
WRITING IN EXPRESS


Is there any writing in this?" ask
ed the clerk at the general delivery
window of the post office. No. said
the business man, If there was
would send it by express,'' said the
man rather tartly. And place your
self open to fine of fifty dollars and
the express company one hundred
and fifty dollars?" said the polite
clerk.
Then followed an argument which
finally ended in the business man who
thought he knew 1t all, in betting the
clerk four dollars that she was wrong.
Take you," said the clerk. And the
bet was closed. OF course the post
Office clerk at the general delivery
window won the argument.
There are few people who know OF
the stringent rules and of the fines to
which one may be subjected for using
the mails in an Legitimate manner
and cases like the one which happen
ed today are good opportunities for
quoting scripture" along these lines
when ever they come up
The fact of the matter is, when any
writing is sent inside Of an express
package, the sender and company If
aware of the writing, are subjecting
themselves to a fine which totals
5000. 1t is wrong to send writing In
express packages for the simple rem
son that the government believes In.
the monopoly of the mails and the
express company or any transporta-
ton other than the mails is competing
with the government in carrying writ
ten matter inside express packages.
In quoting from the rostal laws and
regulations the following may be in
teresting to those who are not Ia
miliar with the ruling which brought
about the argument at the post office
today:
| Transmission of private letters by
private express, forbidden. Sec. 1889:
The owner of every stage coach, rail
way car. steamboat or other vehicle
or vessel, which the knowledge of any
owner, in whole or in part, or with
the knowledge Or connivance of the
driver. conductor, master or other
person having charge of same, convey
any person, acting or employed as a
| private express for the conveyance of
letters or packets, and actually in
possession of the same for the pur-
pose Of conveying them contrary to
the spirit, true intent and meaning of
this title (meaning Revised statutes,
Title XIV, The Postal Service. ,
shall, for every such obese, be liable
to penalty Of $780,
"Sec. 1140.-No person shall trans
NIT by private express or other un-
lawful means, or deliver to any agent
of such unlawful express or deposit,
or cause to be deposited, at any ap-
pointed place for the purpose of being
transmitted, any letter or packet;
and for every such offense. the party
offending, shall be liable to a fine Of
fifty dollars
The express companies are notified
in every instance where it is found
that such is the intent of sender, to
transmit writing by express. of the
sender's intent to do so. The ex-
press companies are in every case
ser, thankful for information given
them regarding such matters and
trouble from this source seldom ever
occurs.