The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-12-23
The Postoffice. Department Adds its
Polite Plea to What Papers
Have sledge.Hammered
For Years.
PosTMEN OFTEN LOOSE
Coins Many Times are Dropped il
snowsussested That You
Purchase Stamp Book
For IS Cents.

Anyone with half an eye and COM
mon gumption, knows, though it is
an unmftigated nuisance at any time,
this thing of dropping loose pennies
in rural carrier boxes with which to
pay postage on letters, probably also
Edropped in on the bottom of the
box, the carrier having to grabble
them out, in cold weather the prac-
tice is abominable; 1t is akin to the
act of one who would slip up behind
you in zero weather and pour pint
of ice water down the back of your
meek.
And yet 1t is common custom; is
*done every day on almost every
route everywhere, and probably will
bot be discontinued until the depart
tnent makes sweeping order that
kny unstamped letter found by a
carrier in a box be left there, even
though the pennies be loose in the
box to pay for same.
The postoffice department. does not
Tish to do anything drastic in the
batter, but it does desire that the
ublic should do its part in the rural
3 ervice, at least to the extent of hav-
, big stamps affixed to their letters
md parcels when putting them in
heir boxes for mailing. Especially
10 as all carriers are provided with
(tamps, and patrons can buy them
hhead SO as not to have to buy them
either on cold day or drop in the
nnstamped letter and the loose pen
hies for postage, causing the carrier
10 unglove his hand to get them.
So common is this inexcusable
nuisance that the department has
made some investigation as to its ex-
tent. The result of same is embodied
lin letter sent out to all postmasters
& of places from which rural routes
go. The one received by the Keokuk
postmaster we give herewith:
sFPostoffice Department, Fourth
Assistant Postmaster General, Wash
ington, Dec. 10, 1909.-The Post
master Sir: From recent count
&made sby rural carriers in one of the
Ecounties in the state of New York of
Ecoins deposited by patrons in their
boxes for the purchase of stamp sup
Dlies. it was found that each carrier
In the county was collecting an aver
age of lis one-cent coins each week.
This average applied to all the routes
In operation throughout the country
would give the enormous total OF
IN bout 30O, 100000 one-cent coins.
AS most of these coins are depos-
tied loose in boxes, it is desirable
That you and rural carriers, in a tact.
& ful and polite way, put forth your
/ BEST efforts to induce patrons to pro-
A Hide themselves with stamp supplies
I'D advance of their needs, and to
e 6quip their boxes with suitable coin
y holding receptacles 1t should be ex.
lained to patrons that the picking OF
bose coins from boxes not only re-
nlts in needless hardship and stuff
1ring to carriers In winter weather
elays the delivery and collection Of
lie mails, but frequently results in
etual money loss to the carriers, fol
In collecting coins from boxes
ley drop them into the snow or or
ke ground without recovery they
Ne required to replace the amount
Mt of their own funds.
IF it can be done without expense
the department, announcement OF
E Ie foregoing should be published.
Respectfully,
up. v. DeGRAW.
i Fourth Assistant Postmaster Gen.
The Gate City would suggest that
6e of the best ways for country pa