Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-12-31
Governments New Years Gift
To the American People.

II is George c. Thomson, Chief
Clerk of the Postoffice Department.
These officials have developed the
plan of the Parcel Post and prepared
the details of it's operation.
The drafting of regulations to gov
ern matter transmitted by Parcel Post
was personally directed by Postmas
ter General Hitchcock. One of these
regulations is that each parcel mailed
must bear on its face the name and
address of the sender preceded by the
| word From" Parcels intended for
| dispatch must be mailed at a postof-
| flee, branch postoffice, named or let
/ tered station or such numbered station
as may be designated by the postmas-
ter. They must not be placed in or
upon letter boxes or package boxes To-
Gated in city streets. They may be
given, however, to any rural or star
route carrier. Parcels must not 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 at the rate prescribed for the
higher class
All matter which is declared unmail-
able by law will be unavailable as Par
eel Post matter This includes OBJ
scene, indecent and immoral matter,
Intoxicating liquors, poisons. live an
imals, birds and poultry, inflammable
articles and such things as raw hides
or pelts or other articles having a bad
odor. The regulations prescribed mi
nutely methods to be used in packing
parcels Liquids and oils, paste and
salves, sharp instruments, ink pow
.ders, pepper and snuff, must be placed
in tight receptacles and in
many instances surrounded by absor
bent material to prevent damage to
other mail matter.
Articles such as millinery, toys, mu-
steal instruments and glassware must
be labeled Fragile"
One of the interesting features of the
regulations concerns perishabIe 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 ev-
cry article produced on the farm cx-
cept live animals and live fowls In
the local zone little packing is re-
quired. Within the first zone-that is
for a shipment of 50 miles-all these
articles must be enclosed in an inner
cover and in a strong outer cover of
wood, metal or heavy corrugated
paste. board and so wrapped that moth
ing can escape from the package.
1t has been demonstrated to the sat
isfaction of Postmaster General Hitch
cock that eggs can be transported
safely by Parcel Post. OF course, they
may not be mailed in paper bags, but
must be enclosed in proper containers.
Parcels which cannot be delivered
will take their course through the dead
letter office. If a parcel should con-
tain matter that, in course of its
transPortatio becomes offensive, or
injurious to health, il may be destroy
cd by the postmaster. Unbelievable
perishable matter which does not be-
come offensive or injurious to health
may be turned over to local municipal
authorities to be distributed to hospi-
tails, asylums or other similar institu-
lions,
Provision is made in the law for the
Naturalization of shippers for lost
packages. The law prescribes that by
insurance the actual value of lost
packages VIII be given TO the senders,
Postmaster General Hitchcock has de-
vised a unique system for handling in
sured parcels. consisting of shipping
tag printed with two coupons, one of
which is torn off and given to the
sender, the second retained by the
postmaster It the sending office, the tag
itself being attached to the parcel
and bearing the name and address of
the person TO whom it is to be deliv-
ha inc, tel
ten cents. In the event of loss the
Government will pay the actual value
of the contents of the package, not eX-
ceeding fifty dollars.
Postmaster General Hitchcock enter
tainS the belief that the Parcel Post
is destined to become one of the most
important features of the postal SER
vice.