The Washington herald., 1909-05-23

The general delivery Of the post Offices
helps 10 put blight upon the social life
Of every city in the country. and the
Pittsburg Office is TO exception; but Il
seems that there Is no remedy, and what
are You going 90 do about it,
Thus spoke an sUache Of the Pittsourg
post-ofnce 20 a Pittsburg Post reporter
as he stood IN the lobby OF the big,
gloomy looking building IN Smithheld
street watching the constant stream OF
men. women. boys and girls who applied
eagerly and expectantly at the windows
OF the general delivery
/ Il was a startling remark Gould Il be
possible that our excellent Uncle sam
! uel is always and knowingly. though
beiplesslv. contributing 10 the sum Of So
iofai evil through the medium Of that an
Gent and presumably honorable institu-
iuon. the general delivery
/ OF course. II IS known that the mails
are being constantly used for the pro-
mitigation Of Illegal schemes They are
unavoidably used for al sorts OF HE
climate correspondence. But when
used for swindling conc0ctions the per
( petrators are usually quickly discover
Cd and forbidden the privilege OF the
mails or are brought 10 legal book Il
there be good ground for arrest and
! prosecution.
4 Little protection. however. can oe
thrown around the abuse OF the general
deIjverv. Il viii be used for clandestine
correspondence and with immoral am
/ 6esplte an watchfulness and safeguard
inr for the barriers can he erected only
al certain limit and beyond that limit
no authority may reach
Minors Out of II.
we do not permit minors to get mail
from The general delivery. said Post
master Davis when asked in regard 10
the alleged conditions Especially do
we not deliver letters 70 young girls. IN
fba first place. We require identification
as n names. That Is not always possible.
g. the clerks are men Of keen judgment,
of much experience, coed readers OF
/ bur,an nature and can usually tell al a
I Glance whether the inquirer is 3 ieg1u-
mate recipient Of the mail he or she asks
for In the case Of minors we witnhoio
the mail. and. II possible. ascertain the
name Of the parents. II there be parents
and forward the letters % thszil ana le1
\ them deal with the young ones as thes
deserve. II we DO not ind the parents
or If mail is withheld for any reason we
send the letters TO the dead letter once
lin washington. and mass Of such cor
Irespondence goes there every year.
- an, told by post Office agents and
inspectovs who have Travelled tle coun-
itrv over that Pittsburg Fac the buikies'
general delivery 90 any city of tne
country. n New York. Of course, there
are numerous substatiOns, and tAes=
take the general delivery business rom
1.-The main Office. But It IS asserted that
mo other central Office IN the country
has so large a general delivery as ours.
This is due - the fact that vast
= number OF travelling men ard transient
persons Of all kinds stop n this CITY
land have their mall sent ahead OF them
10 the general delivery Then there IS
an immense number Of men and women
working in this greatest Industrial bee
hive of the country who i've in apart
} rnent and rOOming houses and VINO &c
not Ike 70 have their mail 60 there
na-tlv for the reason that Il might oe
appropriated by others and partly fol
the reason that they may at any time
change their address For these the gen
eraI delivery IS a great advantage' ane
It is for such as these that Il IS man
= tained. OF these transient and snifunL
/ classes We have a larger percentage o.
population than any other city n tn'
United States
: Use Is Restricted
For any person with home. am
with a residence that can be called a
all permanent, there is no excuse TO
, ,eo ~ 4be general delivery. Il Is nc
rnaintained for them. Their servic'
AMI convenience led 10 the establish
uent and splendid development OF tn
/ free delivery system. and usually 81
take advantage Of this who expect q
have a continuing address for any con
! siderable time Thousands who hav
NOT such permanence, for the reason
, mentioned. legitimately employ the ma
chinery OF the general delivery. In
remainder Of the correspondence, for IA
most part. that IS carried on through
the general delivery IS what IS terme'
'claudestine It would not bear inspec
, itIou bv, anv but the actors Many thing
! pathetic and many things that SOM
: might call amusing occur in this connec
; t;on- We have sent letters OF young girl
70 their parents, and those parents hav
! come 10 thank Us for saving their chill
; dren from possible harm. Letters 50 sen
to uarents have been the means CT dis
covering daughters who have left thei
> homes. and only recently a mother cam
, to US to give heartfelt thanks for
daughter whom she recovered BY thi
means. and said that the girl was gla
10 get back home ana was doing well.
we have had wives ask for letter
addressed to their husbands and hus