The Washington herald., 1912-08-30
DELIVERY
TO BE CURTA|LEO
In Future Those Getting Mail in
This Way Must Explain
in Writing.
LAW NOW IN EFFECT
IN OTHER PLACES
Secular League Objects to Legal
Recognition of the Sab
bath Day.

onicial confirmation was given yester-
day to the statements made by The
Washington Herald several weeks age
| that radical changes would be made In
the general delivery service.
The details as announced follow the
| story as then published by Tho Wash
| ington Herald, and the reformation OF
| the general delivery regulations II what
| was then predicted by Tho Herald. and
It may be added denied, ostensibly with
ofilcial sanction.
The new rules, which will become ef-
fective tomorrow. are in brief that the
general delivery service shall be for the
manent abode at which they may receive
their mail. either because they are
'transients'' or because they have not
been here sufficiently long to establish
themselves In some particular place.
Persons who use the general delivery
must state In writing why they use II
instead OF another branch Of the service.
Persons who have permanent homes
here; persons under twenty-one years
Of age, who have hot authority from
their parents or guardians to use the
general delivery: persons using fictitious
names: persons conducting an Illicit cor
respondence-all of them are forbidden
to use the general delivery.
The new regulations have been adopt
ed after a study OF conditions surround
ing the use of the general delivery win
dows.
General Delivery Harmful.
Observations made by clerks at the
general delivery windows" and by
other agents Of the Post-ofice Depart
ment in Washington had convinced off,
cials that the general delivery service.
which Is Of such great benefit 10 some
classes, was proving harmful to other
classes. notably to young persons who
were thus conducting correspondence
net approved by their parents.
Married persons. also. were using the
general delivery to no good purpose. and
persons using the malls for fraudulent
purposes were taking advantage of the in
conspicuousness II afforded.
Altogether the results OF the watchings
by the post-office men showed that a
reformation was needed, and plans for
changes were taken under consideration.
The new rules resulted, and. while the
needs OF them everywhere were quite ap-
parent, II was inexpedient to enforce them
here as soon as at other cities. They are,
therefore. just becoming effective at the
Washington post-office.
oficials stated last night that there is
no reason why persons who have n right
to use the general delivery should be
abashed by the new regulations. Embar-
rassment need be feared by none except
those who would abuse the privileges OF
general delivery, they said.
Not only viii the general delivery serv-
ice be brought under stringent rules. but
also It probably will be curtailed on
Sunday. like the other services of the
Post-office Department. II is said that
officials here have not yet decided what
they will do in regard to this phase of
the problem.
Complaint Against Law.
Complaints against the curtailment of
Sunday service were made formally yes
terday by the Washington Secular
League John D. Bradley. its secretary,
said last night that while the legisla-
ton providing that mail should not be
distributed at post-offices between mid
night Saturday and midnight Sunday
was pending, the league presented in
the form OF resolutions the only rep
reservations made to Congress on the
subject.
The leagues resolutions recited that
''the movement for the restriction OF the
postal service on Sunday. contemplating
the entire suspension of mail delivery
and the absolute closing to the public
of post-offices on that day originated
from those who are moved in the matter
by religious sentiment"
The general secretary Of the Lords
Day Alliances, not named in the reso-
luton, was said to have started the
movement for Sunday closing of post
offices.
This very question of the closing of
pcst-offices and the suppression of the
postal service on Sunday in the inter-
ests of the observance of that day by
act of Congress was thoroughly consid-
cred and properly decided by Congress
early in the history of the government
and of the posal SERVICE" an official
Of the Secular League said last night.
Considered Years Ago.
The decision was made by Congress
in adopting the historic mail reports of
the Twentieth and Twenty-first Con-
crosses. made in response to a demand
for such closing and suppression. The
demand was opposed, as being a demand
for legislation by Congress in the inter-
ests of the religious institution of Sun
day observance in violation Of the con-
stitutional principle of separation of
church and State, and as an expression
OF religious zeal better suited to an &C.
clesiastical than to a civil institution
1T was declared that our government
is civil and not a religious Institution,
and will not convert itself into an eccle-
siastical tribunal
In the report prepared by the Com
mittee on Post-offices and Post Roads
Of the House Of Representatives and ap-
proved by the House on March 5, 1880,
that If the motive of the petitioners be
to induce Congress to sanction by law
their religious opinions and observances,
then their efforts ought to be resisted
as in their tendency fatal both to religi-
Gus and political freedom that 1t would
be legislating on a religious subject,
and. therefore. unconstitutional that
our government furnishes very few
blessings like the MALL which is the
chief means by which intellectual light
irradiates to the extremes of the re-
publlc'