Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-01-14
LETTERS MAY
SPREAD DISEASE
MAIL MATTER FROM HOUSES
WHERE CONTAGIOUS EXISTS IS
MEANS OF COMMUNICATING
RULES FORBID SENDING
Postal Regulations Prohibit Post
master and Carriers From Ac-
cepting Such MaiI--May OBJ
serve Sunday.

The failure Of persons quarantined
because of contagious diseases to
properly observe the regulations of
quarantine Is often responsible for
considerable havoc being wrought IN
community, in that by thoughtless
neglect of duty, the contagion Is
permitted to spread, In most cases
the public through the agency Of the
health departments keep this down to
a minimum but there are ways IN
which even the health officers care
may fail to prevent the spread of dis
ease. One Of these avenues of conta-
gion is by correspondence and the
use OF the mails. Uncle Sam through
the regulations of the postal depart
ment has forseen this danger and has
provided against it, but even then
some persons insist on the mail car
rier becoming an unwilling and un.
conscious means of spreading the
contagion.
If he will stick resolutely to the
regulations and the order OF the post
master or foreman Of the carriers, the
carrier may be forced to stand vile
names and verbal abuse, but he Will
not be exposed nor expose others to
contagion. The presence OF mail
boxes on house wherein contagious
disease, be 1t scarlet fever, diphtneria
measles, or one OF the other common
maladies that are subject to quarantine
is confined, is often the means whereby
a. carrier can become carrier OF DIS
ease as well as mail. He is often asked
to place the mail in the mail box BY
persons who are quarantined notWltn'
standing that the quarantined omen the
hoy and remove the mail. This ne
does not have to do nor should be
asked to do.
Rules are Strict.
It Is not new thing nor is 1t I'M
usual as means of spreading contagion
for letters and mail matter from
ouarantined OF house containing con-
tagious diseases to spread the conta-
gion, Cases have been known here
in Ottumwa and elsewhere ana TOO
strong measure cannot pc taken 70
prevent it. The postoffice department
of the United States has PROVIDED
against it by more than one rule ana
it makes it plain to the postmaster
that he is not to accept mail from
pIaces where he knows there is conta'
gious disease. In a. ike manner does
It equally assert that carriers shall not
subject themselves to unusual risk
where contagion is imminent In
places where a mail box is stationed
on the porch or gate, the postman has
orders to throw the mail on the porch
or in some place where it is not likely
to be lost or spoiled by the elements.
Cooperation with the postal authori-
ties in such cases can but result IN the
general good of all. 4
TO Observe Sunday.
Postal employees in the city are IN
receipt of communications from the
Lords Day alliance, with headquarters
in New York. The avowed purpose OF
this alliance, which is not composed OF
postal employees but business men and
,clergymen Of the entire country, is to
take steps to have the postofices OF
the nation closed on Sunday The men
in The mail service are heartily in favor
of the move, feeling that as every
other industry in the country observes
the Sabbath as day Of rest they
should not be Disseminated against.