Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-02-04
cARELESsNESs OF SENDER RE.
TARDs DELIVERY At DEsTIN-
ALTON OF LETTER.
EXPENSE IS GREAT
Cost Of Directory Service a Big Item;
Department Orders Officials To
Instruct The General
Public.

'If the public or that portion or II
that makes use of the United States
postal service would have it's mail de-
livered promptly, the most important
thing to do Is to see that the letter or
parcel is properly addressed SAID
Postmaster McCarty today.
This was said to apply generally, tor
If those sending mail matter In every
city and town will make it a point 10
place the full address of the person or
firm to whom the mail Is sent, the de-
lay in delivery will be avoided. me
local post Office receives considerable
mail that is not properly addressed.
Whether this Is due to the sender not
knowing. the right address, or following
the lines of least resistance passes the
incomplete job up to the post office for
it's directory service, is not stated by
the local postal authorities. but they
do state that number OF Ottumwans
are in the habit of neglecting to place
addresses fully on their mail. Thls Is
particularly true when sending out
quantities of letters or cards In the
city on which part of the address or
the mere word Getty" is used Mail
sent from Ottumwa in this manner
makes the same trouble at the office
to which it Is sent.
Cost Great in Chicago.
AS result of an investigation of the
Chicago and other postofflces the post
master general today issued instruc'
lions to all postmasters throughout the
country to educate their patrons In the
matter of properly addressing mail.
According to a statement from the
postmaster generals Office special
count has been made Of all first class
mail passing through the Chicago Of
fee. Out of 465,750 pieces, 204,930, or
"A per cent, were improperly or In
sufficiently addressed.
To supply correct addresses on this
improperly addressed mail through
search of the directories costs the gov.
eminent in Chicago alone about $75,-
900 year. This was in addition to the
expense OF rehandling, forwarding, and
returning a large percentage of the
matter.
Stamp to Give Warning.
For the purpose of securing greater
care on the part Of patrons of the post.
offices, postmasters will be supplied
with rubber stamps bearing the legend,
D0llV0Ty ucidycu dCCOuAI VI iaSOAA,
plete address," This stamp will be
placed on all mail which Is delayed be-
cause of incomplete addressing.
Some Causes for Errors.
The carelessness Of the public is at
tributed to several clauses. Among
them may be mentioned the following:
The feeling that Uncle Sam will deliv-
er anything bearing name; the prac-
tice of business firms Of emitting their
street numbers from their stationery.
and the representation OF certain ad-
vertising agencies that advertisers will
save by emitting street numbers from
their advertisements.
No matter how prominent a firm or
business concern may be, the postoffice
department states that in practically
every case where the street numbers
are omitted there is delay Of from
one delivery up. The postmasters will
be instructed to urge this fact upon
their patrons in It's fullest strength.