The Washington herald., 1914-06-08
PARCEL POST IS
EXTENDED TODAY
House Collection Of Ten
pound Packages Effective
in Washington.
CALL ON PHONE ORDER
Postma,tes-Otto Praeger Gives Detail
ed Instructions How to Comply
with New Regulations.

Postmaster Otto Praeger last night is-
sued list of suggestions for patrons OF
the parcel post service, which is EXTENDED
in Washington today. House-to-hopse
collection Of ten-pound parcels Is ef-
fectiyc this morning.
Patrons of the service after today VIII
not be required to take packages. weigh
ing ten pounds or more. to the postoffice
or any of the substations In order TO
mail them. Upon notice by telephone the
postal authorities will send mail col
lection wagon to residences or business
houses for all such parcels. If there Is no
phone convenient the patron can notify
the letter carrier or send a postal card
to the main office.
Call Up Main 17t7.
The telephone number to be used In
notifying the Postoffice to call for par
eel is Main 1747. Persons living in Mount
Pleasant Washington Heights and CO.
lumbia Heights may telephone to North
422s; in Georgetown. to West 80. and on
Capitol Hill, to Line. 6sl
This extension of the parcel post sys-
TEN has been authorized by the Postoffice
Department, thus far. only for the city of
Washington and for shipments weighing
not less than ten pounds. The extension
of the service will depend upon the sue
cess of the experiment. In order to make
1t a success the public must comply fully
with the regulations regarding the pack
ing of parcels.
The collections will be made between Z
o'clock in the morning and o'clock in
the evening, in the course of the regular
trips of the collection wagons. These col
lections range from two trips a day IN
the sparsely settled sections of the city.
to eight trips in the heart of the business
section.
The mail collection wagons will be sup
piled with scales. and the postage MAY be
paid in stamps affixed to the packages or
in cash. Collectors also are authorized
to accept insured parcel post packages.
The collector will not be permitted to
wait for the preparation Of a parcel 1t
must be ready upon his arrival for In
slant dispatch. properly wrapped and ad-
dressed. and the collector will not be per-
mitted to assist in its preparation. nor to
wait until it has been tied up.
Persons desiring to ship ordinary par
GELS of merchandise direct from their
homes or places of business must oe
guided by the following directions:
Weight Limit of Parcels.
The limit of weight of parcels is fixed
at tweN:y pounds, except those for local
delivery and in the first and second zones.
where the limit is fifty pounds. The local
rate is applicable for delivery within the
city delivery limits OF Washington, D. c.,
or the rural routes emanating therefrom.
Parcels must not, in size. exceed seventy
two inches in length and girth combined.
The correct way to measure a parcel is
to determine its actual length (the length
being considered the greatest dimension)
and so much OF the tape as may be left
should be used in encircling the parcel at
its greatest girth (the measuring being
done with a 12-inch tape). In measuring
an automobile tire or casing which is
SO wrapped as to leave a clear space in
the center. the outside diameter should
be taken as the length. and the distance
around the body of the tire-that is, the
mere circumference Of the tubing or
casing-should be taken as the girth.
Parcels must be prepared for mailing
SO that the contents may be easily ex-
amined. Each article. whether ordinary.
insured, or c. o. D., must invariably bear
the name and address of the sender. Mer-
chandise enclosed in boxes on which lids
are nailed may be accepted for mailing
at the fourth-class rate of postage when
the lids can be removed with reasonable
effort for the purpose Of examination Of
contents.
Umbrellas. canes. golf sticks. fishing
rods and similar articles should be
fastened between boards slightly longer
and wider than the articles enclosed. Hats
in pasteboard boxes should be Grated with
wood unless packed in double corrugated
pasteboard boxes. and must not exceed
seventy-two inches in length and girth
combined. Cut flowers should be placed
in boxes of wood, tin. or heavy corrugated
pasteboard. Candies in thin pasteboard
boxes should be included in outer boxes
Of wood, tin, or corrugated pasteboard
Drawings or paintings when not fiat
should be rolled around a stout wooden
stick and then carefully wrapped, or in
cluded in a pasteboar1 tube.
Parcels weighing less than ten pounds
each, or a collection of parcels aggregat-
ing less than ten pounds. must be mailed
as heretofore at the usual postofiice sta
tions or at any of the contract stations.