Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-12-30

undertaken by the government. The
service will extend over more than
!, 435 600 miles of transportation lines,
including 233,S99 miles Of railways.
164,39 miles of s ar routes, 29,2S3
miles of steamboat lines, and 1,007,772
miles of rural mail routes.
For parcel post matter, a distinc-
tive set of postage stamps has been
provided. These distinc i've stamps
must be used for all parcel post mat
ter. If the packages bear ordinary
postage stamps they will be held for
postage.
Immediately upon the enac ,ment Of
the parcel post law Postmaster Gen
eral Hitchcock appointed a committee
of postal officials to work ont the de-
tails of the new system and TO put it
into operation. The committee con-
sists OF the highest authorities on all
phases of postal administration. Its
personal is Robert S. Sharp, chief
postoffice inspector, chairman; J. c.
Rooms, superintendent of salaries and
allowances; c. B. Hurley, chief clerk
to the third assis ant postmaster gen
eTal; G. l.. Wood, superintendent Of
rural mails; and A A Fisher, chief
clerk to the second assistant postmas-
ter general Associated wi II the com
mittee in an advisory capacity is
! George G. Thomson, chief clerk Of the
( postCfice department. These officials
/ have developed the plan of the parcel
/ post and prepared the details Of its
operation.
The drafting Of regulations to gov
ern matter transmitted by parcel post
was personally directed by Pos master
/ General Hitchcock. One of these regu-
lations is that each parcel mailed
must bear on it's face the name and
address Of the sender preceded by the
word From" Parcels intended for
dispa ch must be mailed at a post
office, branch postofice, named or let
tered station or such numbered station
as may be designated by the postmas-
ter They must no. be placed in or
upon letter boxes or package boxes
located in city streets. They may be
given, however, to any rural or star
route carrier. Parcels must no. be
sealed and must be so prepared as to
permit of easy examination. Such
parcels as contain two or more CLASSES
OF mail matter |are chargeable with
postage a, the rate prescribed for the
! higher class.
All matter which is declared un-
mailable by law will be unavailable as
parcel post matter. This includes oh
scene, indecent and immoral matter
intoxicating liquors, poisons, live ami
mails, birds and poultry, iniammable
! articles and such things as raw hides
or pelts or other articles having a bad
| odor The regulations prescribe mi
/ nutely methods to be used in packing
! parcels, liquids and oils, paste and
salyes, sharp instruments, ink powders
pepper and snuff, must be placed in
water-tight rCCeptacies and in many
instances surrounded by absorbent
| material to prevent damage to other
mail matter
Articles such as millinery, toys, mu
sical instruments ana glassware must
be labeled Fragile"
One of the interesting features of the
4 regulations concerns perishable arti
cles. In this class are placed butter
lard, fish, fresh meats, dressed fowls
vegetables and fruits and berries. Pro
vision is made for carrying almost
every article produced on the farm ex
cept live animals and live fowls. In
the local zone little packing is re
quired. Within the first zone-tha. is
for a shipment Of 80 miles-aU these
articles must be enclosed in an innel
cover ard in strong outer cover o.
wood, metal or heavy corrugated pas
board and so wrapped that nothing
can escape from the package.
II has been demonstrated TO thu
satisfaction Of Postmaster Genera