The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-12-24
Postmaster Flentge Gives In.
structions on Parcel Post
Mailing
SEND EARLY TO AVOID
DELAY IN BIG CITIES
Use Red Cross Stamps. But Do
mt Seal Bundles;
Wrap Well


made at the post office to handle the
Christmas rush of parcel post mail
and in order to cooperate with the de-
partment, Postmaster E. w. Flentge
yesterday asked that packages be
mailed as early as possible.
A large .roonlful of parcel post mail
was delivered in the Cape yesterday
and great number of packages was
dispatched from the Cape.
"The number of packages is on the
increase and the number Of Christmas
post cards is decreasing" Mr. Flentge
said yesterday afternoon.
people can send so much stuff by
mall now that it requires additional
men to take care of it. have 4 wag-
on and two men on the force now de-
livering parcel post mail"
Beginning last night, two men work
ed the mail handled through here in
the night time instead of the one that
usually does all the work. In the
daytime there will be four additional
men on duty.
On Christmas day, only the regular
morning delivery of first class mail
vii be made, as is customary on hOli-
days, and the men working with the
packages will deliver all day long.
The postoffice is the only place
where packages may be mailed by par
eel post. The window at the postoffice
is open from $50 o'clock in the morn
ing till 1880 in the evening. The
stamp window is open during the
same hours also.
Postmaster Flentge yesterday eau
toned all persons preparing Christ
mas packages for the mails regarding
the way in which they are wrapped
and addressed.
Each package should be securely
wrapped in stout paper and tied with
stout cord. Some persons have tried
to mail packages wrapped in tissue
paper and tied with ribbons, he said.
"Of course, we accepted them, but
when they got at the other end of the
line, L imagine they were about frayed
out"
The packages must not be sealed in
any way to go as parcel post mail.
Many persons think there is a rule
against the use Of the Red Cross stick
er stamps on the outside of packages.
Mr.. Flentge announced that as many
Red Cross stamps as one wishes to
place upon package may be affixed
without the violation of any rule, but
the stamps must not be placed over
part of the cord tying the package nor
must they be placed at the edges of
the paper, so that they constitute a
seal for the package. That is the
ruling against them, ard when they
are so placed, they must be torn loose
SItIICI "! tihc pOStoiIlCe SiilploscS VI
the sender himself.
Another essential detail in preparing
packages, is that each package must
bear the name and address of not only
the person to whom the package is
sent, but that of the sender, as WELL
The package will not be accepted, if
the name of the person who is sending
the package is not upon it.
Flentge said that a larger tonnage
of parcel post mail is being handled
this year than ever before. The Office
in the Cape is being kept clear and
efforts will be made the rest of the
week to see that none of the packages
pile up in the office.
All the mail that was received yes
terday and Sunday was distributed in
the Cape yesterday, and all that was
deposited here for other places, was
dispatched on the trains.
Flentge said that the main reason
for the early transmission of package
mail is because in central offices like
st. Louis and Kansas City, Memphis
or Chicago, where the package may
have to be routed, it is liable to get
into congestion owing to the ire
mendous amount of traffic that will be
on hand. No pains are being spared
this year to keep the Offices throughout |
the country cleared each day, but at
some of the places a days congestion
and hold-up is unavoidable some
times.
Another feature that Mr.. Flentge |
in regard to the preparation
of packages was the size. To be eligi-
BILE for the mails a parcel must con-
form to one measurement. The d.
the longest way possible plus
the girth must not me more than so /
inches. !