The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-10-17

Chicago Record Herald: Probably
there is no department of the nation
al government that comes In closer
touch with the people than the post
office system, for it is used by all
classes. For this reason it behooves
persons to understand some of the
laws and regulations by which it is
governed and the best methods OF
preparing mail for transmission and
delivery. People complain of the Post
office Department, but they have lit
tie idea of what the officials contend
with. For instance, some persons take
a delight In using odd-shaped or small
envelopes. All this means delay in the
postoff1ce routine, and the postmas-
ter. of one of our large cities is SO an
noyed that he says: IF l had the
power would make 1t a rule that
envelopes Of specified and approved
sizes and shapes only would be allow
ed in the transmission of correspond
ence, the minimum to be three and a
half by six and half inches, and
the maximum size to be five by elev-
en-" Instead of this the postoffice is
flooded with envelopes from those
that hold tiny calling card to those
used for large photographs.
When it is considered that the pig
eonhole cases in the postoffice for the
distribution of mail and circulars can
not be adapted to any and all sizes
OF envelopes, and that 1t Is not prac-
ticable to have additional cases for
each size package likely to be mailed,
one readily sees that this postmaster
is not suggesting anything unreason-
able. Yet probably not one person
out of hundred thinks of this in
mailing matter.
OF course, every postoff1ce depart.
ment wishes to work as rapidly as
possible, and this is another reason
for using uniform size of envelopes
All letters are stamped with stamp
Ing machine, but the department is
always considerate. For instance il
one sends something that may be
crushed II the machine stamps it, II
can be marked, Not for cancelline
machine" and the officials will take
note of 1t and treat 1t with care. Some
firms send out quantity Of matter
marked in this way, and as a rubber
stamp Is better than pen, they
keep one for the purpose. The post
office clerks have instructions to lool
out for such markings and to try tt
observe them when possible.
! In fact, 1t Is surprising what (
well regulated machine the Postoffic,
Department is. OF course, it has gain
led this efficiency as the result o
decades of practical adaptation of tn,
latest requirements for business ant
social REORGANIZATION. To carr,
on its business Systematically is
tremendous undertaking, which coul,
be simplified if people understood it
organization and realized that whel
unsatisfactory results are obtained
lis often the fault of the individua
rather than that OF the Postoffice De
partment Take the matter of INSULT
cient and illegible addresses. Million
of letters go wrong just because c
these mistakes. These can be correcte
sometimes by the sender or they ma
reach the dead letter office, but Their
are also thousands of letters that ar
mailed without postage. and it is
common fault, especially with womel
to put no return address on letter
! This placing of name and address
! of sender on outside of an envelop
, seems small matter, yet eleve
million pieces Of mail matter wer
: to the dead letter office last yea
and all of this might have been save
if the sender had placed on the GU