Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-11-30
FOR THE MAILING
OF CHRISTMAS GIFTS
Postmaster Praeger Gives Directions
for Avoidance of Delay in
Transmission.
Suggests Dates for Posting Pack
ages-Also Tells How Parcels
Should Be Wrapped.

To meet the exigencies of the holt
day season and enable the public to
avoid disappointment in the non-ar-
rival of Christmas gifts in due season,
the city postmaster has issued gen
eral circular containing instructions
and advice.
Especial stress is laid upon the i'm
portance of mailing gifts early. and the
limit of dates for the different sec
tions of the country for which it is
safe to mail them IS given as fol-
lows: December %, for the District of
Columbia. Maryland, and nearby Vir-
Ginia points; December %, for Penn
sylvania, Delaware. West Virginia,
southern Virginia and North Carolina:
December 81. for all other states east
of the Mississippi; December 10, for
all states west of the Mississippi and
east of the Rocky mountains, and De-
cember II, for the Pacific coast.
Earlier Dates Safer.
1t is suggested that those who pre-
fer to be absolutely on the safe side
should send their gifts at an earlier
date than the one given for the sec
ton to which they are to be sent, and
that to save the surprise to those to
whom they are given the packages be
plainly NAKED, Not to be opened until
Christmas"
Large parcels should be mailed at the
main post Office or at the big postal
stations drug store stations known
as contract stations. Those weighing
four ounces and under may be depos-
tied in the street letter boxes. All
should be fully and legibly addressed
and bear the name and address of the
sender as well. together with stamps
to prepay the postage. Information as
to the AVAILABILITY of any article, the
rates Of postage or any other doubtful
point will be furnished by station SUI
perintendents and the main Office upon
application direct or by telephone, the
main Office number being Main 7272-32.
Must Admit of Inspection.
All matter prepaid at less than let
ter rates of postage, cents an ounce
or fraction thereof, must be SO pre-
pared for mailing that the contents
may be thoroughly inspected. Delays
in delivery. it is said, occur frequently
because the sender fails to give the
street and number at which they are
to be made. All addresses should be
written in ink and parcel post pack
ages that contain breakable articles
should be prominently marked "Frag-
lie" Postmaster Praeger suggests that
much trouble may be saved if pur-
chasers of articles inform the merchant
of whom they are bought that they are
to be mailed.
Articles like canes, umbrellas. fish
ing rods and the like should be fast
ened on or between boards that are
slightly longer and wider and then
wrapped. Christmas cakes, plum pud-
ding. raisin bread and similar articles
should be wrapped in oiled paper and
inclosed in corrugated pasteboard
container, or in wood or tin box.
Parcels containing meat or meat food
products. except those for local de-
livery, should be mailed at the main
post Office or one of the large sta
tions.
Mixed articles are subject to the rate
of postage chargeable for the highest
class of mail matter they contain, so
that if a parcel that is in the main en-
titled to be sent at the lowest rate for
fourth class matter has letter in
closed. postage at the rate Of 2 cents
an ounce will be chargeable upon the
entire parcel
Christmas stamps or stickers must
not be put on the address side of a
parcel, nor used to seal parcels sent
by parcel post, for in either case they
make the parcels unavailable. Special
delivery stamps attached to ordinary.
insured or e O. D." parcel post mat
pay postage. will insure quick deliv-
cry at the Office of destination.
For this purpose ordinary stamps
to the amount of 10 cents may be at
tached to a parcel, provided the words
special delivery" are also written near
the stamps. For the mailing of parcels
to foreign countries it Is best to OBJ
tain complete information at the post
Office or the large stations.
War Interrupts Communication.