The Adair County news., 1920-11-24
METERED MAIL
NEXT NOVELTY
New Electric Device Will Permit
Business Concerns to Can
Gel Their Own Output.
VALUABLE To LARGE MAILERS
Will Save Several Hours in the Han
ding of Mail and Will Protect
Firms From Loss of Stamps
Through Thefts.

Washington.-"Mete mail' is to
be the next novelty in the rapidly de-
veloping postal system of the country,
remarks the Washington Herald. 1t
has received the Endorsement Of con-
gress and the postOffice department and
is scheduled to make its appearance
within the next two months.
Metered mail will be sealed, stamped
and Cancelled by the individual owner
of a meter. The mail then will be
taken to the postoffice and placed i'm
mediately upon an outgoing train with
out necessity of remaining in the post
Office until handled in routine fashion.
Metered mail is provided for in a
rider on an agricultural bill passed at
the last session of congress. This
rider grants to first class mail matter
the registered permit privileges now
enjoyed by second class mail. Instead
of being required to stamp each letter
a firm pow will have the privilege of
obtaining 8 mailing permit, thus ex-
pediting its mail. -
Under the post6ff1ce plan, which soon
will be in effect, firms will be able to
lease postal meters that have been
authorized for use by the postal
authorities. The local postofice
authorities will register the meter and
will issue a permit number to the
firm.
Meter Operated by Electricity.
The meter will be a rather heavy
metallic box, about the size Of a lunch
box. 1t will have two small doors
which will be locked by the postal
authorities and securely sealed. A
firm will take the meter to the post
Office and buy a desired amount Of
postage. The postal authorities will
| adjust the meter so that 1t will stamp
and cancel just so many letters and
! no more. The number of letters for
which advance postage has been paid
will be automatically registered on the
lower of the two doors and the postal
authorities will keep a record of the
amount of postage sold to each meter
owner, so that an absolute check may
be kept.
The firm will keep the meter at its
offices except when it is necessary to
buy more postage. The meter will be
operated by a small electric motor. The
letters will be fed into the meter il
patches and will be sealed, stamped
and Cancelled at the rate of 250 min
ute. AS the letters are handled the
meter will automatically record the
number Of Cancelled letters on the up
per door. The user will adjust the
mechanism of the meter so that the
time stamped on the letters will be
one hour in advance of the time of de-
livery of the letters at the postofice
Help Large MaiIers.
The meter, it is expected, will prove
of great value to large mailers. In adj
dition to saving time and labor the
meter will enable large firms to ex
pedite their mail by at least several
hours. The meters will protect firms
from loss of stamps through thefts OF
carelessness and will also give a mark
of distinction to the firms mail, all Of
which will bear a private permit mum
Der, a mark Of big business. The
metering of the mail also will lighter
the work of pOstOffices and will lesser
the number of postage stamps needed
thereby making it possible to reduce
government forces and expenses con
siderably.
Metered mail will not bear regular
postage stamps, but merely a permi
number.
Triplets Lived.