The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-01-09
RULING FAIR TO
N. D. settlers
NEW PosToFFIcE RULING WHICH
REQUIRES LETTERS TO BE RE-
TURNED AFTER FIVE DAYS
WILL MAKE MANY FARMERS
LOSE LOTS OF MAIL.

Reeder Times: In the early part Of
last month there went into effect a
postal ruling that is, to the EDITORS
way of thinking, about as insane
proposition as could we'll be conceived,
for this part of the country especially.
And as we have, above all else, the in
terests of this section of our common
wealth at heart we feel it our duty
to raise our voices against this postal
ordinance.
1t is, in short, that all letters not
having definite days for return to writ
er will be stamped unclaimed" and
returned to the sender at the end of
five days.
The fallacy and unfairness of this
ruling for this section of the country
is obvious. Here, we are a people
scattered widely over the land. 1t is
by no means uncommon for a settler
not to come to town for months in
the busy season. OF course, in the
meantime there is the possibility of
their having a chance to send in for
the mail But this cannot be counted
on, and thus, under the new ruling,
large amount of valuable mail will
be returned to the sender that would
under the older and saner ruling reach
it's destination.
OF course, those high-brows who in
stituted the change viii say "let them
designate on the envelope the number
OF days for return" That as all right
for large business houses and people
who have heavy correspondence. But
it is obviously unfair to those resi-
- 4 to,
who have no way of getting their mail
more than once or twice a month.
OF course, we know that to write
return in the upper left hand corner
is small affair and that it can easily
be done. But we featherless bipeds
are entirely creatures of habit-habits.
in fact, rule our very li~es And be-
fore the old habit of simply addressing
the envelope and letting it slide into
the postoffice box can be broken there
will have been done damage that will
creep easily into the millions. Had
this ruling been necessary we would
have silently acqliesced, thus saving
this lavish display OF printers ink.
But to our mind it is not necessary
not only unnecessary, but irrational,
absurd and ridiculous
That ruling would doubtless go
down east where rural routes take the
mail daily to the greater portion of
the rural communities, but here in the
west where yearly town going is oft
times number readily to be COM
puted on the fingers of both hands, 1t
is quite another matter. For us thirty
days was a minimum Of time, and to
have them come to us with noise
like five days makes us rub the rust
off some Of our anti-Sunday school
words and wonder what is back OF it
all
OF course that big deficiency in the
postal department might have Just a
thing or two to do with It. for under
this ruling a great number wiz hc CO.
creed into buying the envelopes that
are on sale at the postofiices, and In
this manner Uncle Sam may. to some
extent, replenish his sweeneyed cof-
fers.
What we arise to say is that this
new ruling is manifestly unfair to the
public at large; and of all those who
will feel the brunt Of this ridiculous
ruling. none win feel at quite SO much
or so Keenly as the people here in the
west.