Putnam patriot., 1912-08-30
No More Sunday MaiI

No More Sunday Mall
 Hereafter there will be no mail other than special delivery matter delivered from the local postotliee on Sunday, the ruling coming from the depart ment going into effect at the local of flee Sunday, September i.
 The postoiliee appropriation act for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1918, provides:
 That hereafter postoflices of the first and second classes shall not be open on Sundays for the purpose of deliver ing mail to the general public, but the provision shall not prevent the prompt delivery of special delivery mail"
 Postmaster Letters is notified by the department to arrange to have sutii- cient force of employees to handle this class of mail promptly.
 The department states that 1t is the desire to reduce Sunday work to the minimum so that as many of the em- ployes as possible may enjoy com plete day of rest. The postmaster is asked to have only sufficient number of clerks to report for duty on Sunday in order that transit mail and the mail collected for dispatch may be handled without delay. If DO mail IS dispatch ed on Sunday a very early collection should be made on Monday morning and the mail for local delivery distrib- uted before the carriers leave on their first trip. The ruling will affect busi- ness and travelling men as well as local people who receive ordinary Sunday mail.
 Postmaster Letters has also received ruling on the use of the general de- livery window by minors and suspici- ous characters. The ruling reads:
 The attention of postmasters at of- fees having city carriers Is called to Paragraph 2, Section 7l3, Postal Laws and Regulations, compliance with which should prevent the improper use of the general delivery by residents. Postmasters at such offices may require all persons supposed to be residents to furnish in writing their names and req sons for preferring to be served at the general delivery.
 Minors calling at such offices may be requested to furnish such informa- ton indicated above, also the names of their parents in order that the parents may be notified and have an opportun ity to control the delivery of the mail to the extent provided for by Section 643, Postal Laws and Regulations. Postmaslers at offices not having city carrier service may notify the parents of minors in all instances where it ap- pears that the minors are calling al the general delivery for mail under objec- tional circumstances.
 Section 625, Postal Laws and Regu- lations should be carefully observed in cases where fictitious names are used. The general delivery clerks should be instructed to use their best judgment and to submit to the postmaster any case concerning which they are in doubt.
 Mail received on Sunday morning trains will be dumped on the table There will, however, be dispatch of evening mail for all points closing at 7,30 p. m.
 After the above order had been sent out by the Postmaster General and was promulgated it caused much adverse criticism and comment. Plans were at once made by Mir. Hitchcock where by the administration of the new law prohibiting the delivery of mail on Sundays will have no serious effect up- on the handling of important mail matter
 Holders of lock boxes at first and second class post offices will have &C., cess to them as usual, although no mail deliveries will be made by car riers on the street or at post office win dows. Mail for hotel guests and news papers will be delivered to them through their lock boxes by a simple arrangement of having that mail sort ed on the railway mail cars before it reaches it's destination. Such mail will be regarded AS "transit matter" and will be distributed immediately upon it's arrival at the offices of desti- nation, thus practically insuring a more speedy delivery to the addresses than heretofore has been the case.
 The matter is, therefore, in a some what unsettled state. Postmaster Let ters has decided until more definite instructions are received to give the same service as heretofore. He does not favor the new regulations as he feels' that it will greatly discommode the public.