Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-01-19
POSTAGE METER PROVES
AN INNOVATION
)aiIy Letter by Frederic j. Haskin

WASHINGTON Jan. 16-Busi-
ness firms are printing their own
postage now, with government ap-
proval. That is, firm can print
| postage stamps on its letters, all
before the correspondence is sent
to the postoffice. The amount of
postage used is recorded by an In
genious invention, postage meter.
Since 1S47, brightly colored
stamp stuck In the corner of COM
munication has been used by the
United States government as an
official sign that the delivery fee is
prepaid. AS the government en-
cages in the business of carrying
the mails lit has claimed exclusive
right to print postage stamps for
the entire country.
The stamp was a sign of progress
in civilization less than century
ago and it is not yet ready for dis
card so far as the majority of let
ter writer's are concerned. But with
the development of big bushes eff
cheney experts began to grumble
over the waste motions incident to
ahxing stamps on a huge office cor
respordence. To stick a stamp on
one letter or a dozen ,is an insign,-
meant task. To stamp mail ar1
post several thousand pieces of mail
in one day means work for for .e
OF Office employees. The telephone
company Of this city sends out
10000 bills in a day or two around
the first of each month, and this
IS not in any way a record breaking
correspondence. OF late years the
little red postage stamp has been a
subject Of serious discussion around
mahogany conference tables.
Then, two years ago stamp me-
ter was invented. Tt was approved
by the Postoffice Department ard
now about four per cent of the
IUnitee States mail is metered.
The meter is used in connection
with a mailing machine to print a
stamp post mark, and cancellation
mark on envelopes at the rate of
ESQ a minute. The machine also
seals the envelopes and stacks the n
in pile, AS each piece of mail
stamped the meter registers the
amount of postage used.
Meters Must Be licensed
Each meter in use has to be IL
censed by the Third Assistant Posi-
master General. Before it can be
attached to the mailing machine,
the meter has to be taken to the To-
cal postoffice and set for a specific
amount of postage after which the
door of the meter is sealed and
locked by the postmaster. The post
age is paid for at this time. When
the specified number of stamps has
been used the printing head autS-
matically locks and the meter has
to be taken to the postoffice to be
reset.
The imprints made by the stamp
meter are not like adhesive stamps.
The machine prints an oval design
labeled "U. S. Postage Two Cents
be, together with the number OF
the permit and the number of the
meter. At the sides of the oval
are the wavy lines which the Tost
Office used to indicate that stamp
is cancelled. At the same time the
machine also makes a circular i'm
prtp' showing the name of the city
and the date and time OF mailing
similar to the postmark ordinarily
stamped on mail at the postoffice.
Envelopes sent through this ms
chine and registered by the meter
go directly to the distributing cases
in the postoffice to be sorted for
delivery. Ordinary stamped letters
reaching the postoffice have to be
laid first in piles so that the stamp
ed corner is brought to the lower
left hand face. They are then post
marked and cancelled by machine
In the Chicago postofflce 500 clerks
are employed at these processes OF
facing, postmarking and canceling
by mail
Metered mail, being already post
marked and Cancelled before mail
ing, is delivered more quickly thar
mail which has to go through these
processes. There is a story about a
superintendent OF schools who did
not count on the shorter routine of
such mail. He was In the habit
OF sending brief, undated notices to
his subordinate officials Meeting
tomorrow afternoon at four" Then
metered mail was installed in the
ofhces OF the city government. The
next time the superintendent of
schools sent out the notices as us
ual they were delivered the same
afternoon and the officials all ap-
pearee day early at the appointed
hour.
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