The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-04-17
FALL BY WAYSIDE
Almost 300 Cards Day Held at
POstOffice.
insufficient Postage and Poor
Addresses the Cause.
1000 CARDS A DAY.
Topeka Has the Postcard Habit
Badly.
Foreman j. j. Fritz Gives In
teresting Facts.
1000 CARDS A DAY

Do the people of Topeka realize
that almost 800 of their post cards
are held at the local postoffice every
day because they do not conform with
the iron-clad postal laws issued by the
United States government? This is a
fact nevertheless and according to
Postmaster A. X. Rodgers it is a good
time for the people to take due note
of the fact and reform their careless
communications.
In talking with ]. ]. Fritz, foreman
of the mailing division of the post
office q State Journal reporter was
surprised to obtain the above facts.
There are an average of 275 post cards
held for postage or sent to the dead
letter office every day in the local
building. During the Easter season
the average climbed to almost 500 a
day.
The causes for this wholesale killing
of messages, good. bad and otherwise
are many and varied. They extend all
the way from utter carelessness and
negligence to the deepest of ignorance
And in some cases the ignorance is
not the fault of the public.
1t might be interesting to explain a
few of the laws concerning the send
Ing of post cards-Mr. Fritz stated
this morning that an explanation of
this kind would cut down the dead let
There is a vast amount of trouble
in connection with the tinsel post
cards. In the first place a tinsel card
cannot be sent through the mail I'M
less it is enclosed in a transparent en-
velope or an envelope bearing
two-cent stamp. If a transparent en-
velope is used it must be sealed and
the stamp placed on the outside.
Many people place the stamp on the
inside and it is necessary to remove
a. rfo ic
through the removal of these cards
that one postal clerk lost his life, re-
ceiving a cut on the tinsel thus cauS-
ing blood poison. Here is another rule
that must be observed-the envelopes
must be sealed. This is partly the
fault of the manufacturers of the en-
velopes. They do not place any muci-
1age on the envelope lapel and they
do not print any rules concerning the
use of the cards. Another ban has been
placed upon the tinsel cards. 1t is
all right to send the card sealed and
all with a one-cent stamp on the out
side but il there Is any other COM
munication whatever on the card 1t
must go as a two-cent fare. Nothing
but the address of the conSignee and
the corsigner are allowed. Summing
all up: A tinsel card must be enclos-
ed in an envelope. The envelope must
he sealed. The stamp on the outside
and nothing but the two addresses
OInGGWlSe II Will DG lSlQ III tic OlIlSC
for postage or sent to the dead letter
office in Washin gton. For two cents
anything legitimate can be written on
the card but the envelope must be
sealed and the stamp placed in the
same manner.
There is a big rush at the present
time on post cards with a little en-
veiope attached on the off side. These
little envelopes generally contain love
messages and the like-printed. These
ali -frrt ~
little envelope is not sealed If there
is any other writing inside it will again
violate the one cent law. For two
cents anything can be written in the
little envelope and it can be sealed.
This is another mistake of the man
1Ifacturers because they have placed
the mucilage on the fapelS and have
printed no instructions
In Topeka the post card statesmen
are selling a large number of double
cards with the little wire clips THESE
cards in proper form will reach their
destination for one cent. But if a
message of any kind is written on the
card it means two cent fare-and
the person to whom the card is adj
dressed will receive due notice of the
came. This should make it embarras-
sing for the love lorn swain who
makes it necessary for the sweetheart
10 pay for the delivery of the card.
The leather cards have long been
under the ban. They are losing their
prestige since the ruling of the pos
tai authorities and they are doomed
20 the sofa pillow and the wall COW
ering. The leather post card does not
conform with the post card laws in
the least 1t is not the same texture
as the official cards issued by the
Observation-Disclosures it is watched
carefully The leather card can be
sent for one cent If 1t is sent with no