The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-12-19
BUSINESS OF
DEAD LETTER OFFICE
Nearly Eleven Million Letters and Par
GELS Handled in a Year by This
Special Division.

WASHINGTON, Dec. l9.-More than
two and quarter million dollars worth
of checks, drafts, money orders, and
other valuable papers were found in
unbelievable letters by the dead letter
office during the last year and practi-
eally all were restored to their owners.
First Assistant Postmaster General Dan
lei c. Roper in his annual report an
nounces that the dead letter division
handled l0,S39,S90 letters and parcels
during the year, slight increase over
the previous year. One-third of these
letters and parcels, or, 3,677, 1874 was de-
hvered; 101 ass contained things of
value without clue to their senders
and were held for claimants; 7O19,436
had to be destroyed and ATS were
still being investigated
In addition to the valuable papers
with a face value of 5000, ll9, found in
Unbelievable letters, many contained
stamps and SEINE currency was found
loose in the mails. The stamps and cur
reney unclaimed, together with proceeds
from the sale of articles of merchan
disc removed from unbelievable letters
many contained stamps and some eur
rency was found loose in the mails
The stamps and currency unclaimed
together with proceeds from the sale
of articles of merchandise removed
from unbelievable letters, aggregated
S53,665 and $1,000 was realized from
six months operation of new posta
regulation requiring collection of one
cent on advertised letters, making tht
total net revenue $64,665. Mr.. Roper
says that the revenue estimated under
present conditions for year would
be approximately $4,000 which would
make the dead letter division self -sus
tanning.
To prevent the unnecessary aceumu
lation of letters containing valuable in
closures, a provision was contained il
the last postal appropriation law reduc
ing the limit of time that such letter
shall be held awaiting reclamation from
four years to two years The post
office department has decided to dis
continue the final disposition OF deat
parcels by the postoffices at Pittsburgh
and Cleveland. Such matter formerl,
going to Pittsburgh will be sent to New
York city, while that in Ohio, formerl,
going to Cleveland will be sent to Gin
cinnati, and matter from the Southern
peninsula OF Michigan will go to Chi
eago.
On account of the large growth il
the parcel post business, experience ha
demonstrated that the accumulation o
! this matter at the points designated 70
handling dead parcels has become s.
large as to make it difficult to fin,
space for its accommodation Regula
tions provide, in the case of insure,
parcels, that claims for indemnity mus
be filed within six months. and ii ha
been found there is very little call 70
lost parcels after the lapse of that time
/ Accordingly an order will be issue,
amending the regulations 50 as TO re
duce the time for holding such parcel
prior TO sale from twelve months to 81.
months. Last year 395, 16l parcels wer
found unbelievable.
Dead mail received by the division
. of dead letters during the year con
tanned CT, 200 misdirected letters, 115
! 100 unaddressed letters, 22S, ZOO letter
held for postage, 100000 letters wri,
ten on hotel paper by persons unknown
to the hotels and l04,70O letters bearin
/ fictitious signatures.