The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-04
DOZEN EGGS CAME
AFELYFROM LONG
ISLAND BY POST
More Than 700 Packages
Passes Through Birming-
ham Office Yesterday
PUBLIC DISREGARDS
PLAIN DIRECTIONS
Packages Bearing Old Style Stamps
Will Not Be Accepted-Even
Big Concerns Are Adding
to Confusion

Coming distance exceeding. 1000 n,iles
box of eggs arrived safely at The Age
Herald office yesterday on the first ship
ment of parcel post from the Tywecana
Farms Poultry company of Farmingdale,
Long Island, \. Y. The package when
examined was found tot be in good cont|i-
ton ard had come direct to BIRMINGHAM
as fast as an ordinary letter It's weight
was TWO pounds and it cost 16 cents pos
tage, as Birmingham is in the fifth zone
from Fariningdale. Long Island.
A letter from A. f.. Wright superin-
tendent of the Tywacana Farms Poultry
company. which reached The Age-Herald
at the same time as the eggs, said: 1--WE
are mailing you today box of eggs under
the first shipment made by parcel post"
Nearly 700 Packages
The receipt of these eggs by The Age
Herald in good condition shows the
possibilities of the parcel post and that
1t Is being utilized by the public is shown
by the fact that yesterday the first real
test since the inception of the law on New
Year day. nearly 700 packages passed
through the parcel post bureau at the
postoffice.
This. said Colonel Aldrich. the post
master means business and shows the
the public long suffering over other forms
of transporting parcels and its exorbita nj
rates recognize In the United States par
eel post a benefactor and Will patronize
II as 1t richly deserves. | am alrea "
planning for more room, as In less thsln
30 days we will be swamped in our pres-
cnt quarters. The needs for a new and
larger postoffice were never greater and
never emphasized as they are at the pres
ent time by the overcrowded condition
Of this postoffice'
The parcel post in this city is not only
carrying hundreds of outgoing packages,
but the number of the incoming pack
ages is tremendous, according to J. A.
Smith. superintendent of the parcel post
in the Birmingham postoffice. Yesterday
Mr.. Smith had to use four wagons to de-
liver bout the city the incoming pack
ages and another wagon is expected to
be Put in commission today. An extra
man was also put to work in the parcel
post division, as the work piled up faster
than the original force could handle it.
Public Disregards Directions
The public continues to disregard the di-
rections In regard to the shipping OF par
cells under the new law and mis- is caus-
ing much trouble to the local postoffice
officials who find so many packages
stamped with regular postage or without
a return card or other minor defects that
ii takes a clerks time setting them aside
and mailing notices to the owners that
their package is being held. According
to Superintendent Smith, not only the pub
lie but the large wholesale houses and
by sending packages with the reguln
postage attached.
Has Placards Posted
Yesterday. to try and alleviate this mat
ter, Mr. Smith. under orders of Post
master Aldrich. had nureous large pac-
ards printed in impressive black type,
which he posted in prominent places about
the lobby Of the postoffce. They are
as follows:
PARCEL POST.
parcels not exceeding II pounds in
weight can be mailed at this office for
local delivery for dispatch to any part
of the United States or its possessions
and for dispatch TO the principal for
eign countries.
'The rate of postage for local delivery
is cents for the first pound and cent
for each additional pound. The rate of
postage for dispatch to points in the
United States and its possessions varies
according to distance from cents for
the first pound and cents for each addi-
tional pound to maximum rate OF IL
cents a pound The rate of postage for
dispatch TO foreign countries is IL cents
a pound For detailed information re-
gardng postage rates, inquire at the
stamp window.
Especial parcel post stamps must be
used The law prohibits the use of ordi-
nary stamps on parcel post matter.
Each parcel must bear the name and
address Of the sender; otherwise it cannot
be accepted for mailing.
For a fee of 10 cents a parcel may
be insured against loss to a value not
exceeding $50. When a parcel is insured
a receipt from the addressee showing its
delivery will be procured and mailed to
the sender on request
" FRANK II. HITCHCOCK,
''Posfuagtar GenaraIn