Post-Office Errors by Editor

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Nov 20, 1879

Post-Office Errors.

By Editor

WE are not grumblers. We have a reasonable supply of patience, which is well worn. But some things ought not to be too long endured. Some time since we received the following note, partly printed and partly written, in proper legal form:—

“Post Office at San Francisco, Cal., "To the Editor of SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Sir: Pursuant to instructions from the Postmaster General. I beg leave to inform you that your paper addressed to Eliza Hunter is not taken out, but remains dead in this Office. You will please discontinue the same. JAMES COEY, Postmaster. Reason: Not called for.”

As the person indicated is an old subscriber and had paid far into 1880, we sent this notice to her, and she returned it with the indorsement:—

“The report is not true. ELIZA HUNTER.”

We might have thought there was some unjust interference in this case if it were the only one. But two more have occurred in the same manner. One brother, a diligent worker and officer in the San Francisco church and Sabbath-school, was honored with the same kind of notice. In this case we knew the report was not true, and the brother went to the Postmaster personally, and gave him such a friendly talk as the circumstances required, informing him also that he had received his paper every week without a single failure. In this case the paper was delivered to his address by the carrier, so there was no excuse for the notice.

Very recently we have been notified that papers regularly mailed are not received, and inquiries are made as to the cause. We do not know. We do not wish to believe that there is any petty crookedness in so large and important an office as that at San Francisco.

We will not complain of slow mail between that Office and Oakland, because our experience is shared in by so many that our grievances are lost in the crowd. A daily paper here records the receipt of a letter, Nov. 11, which was mailed in S. F. Nov. 4. A man in that city wrote a business letter to this Office, and the urgency of the case would not permit him to leave it with our agent there, who would deliver it in person next day. So he mailed it, and we received it the fourth day after! This for three mails a day between the cities is unparalleled. Had it been mailed to Ogden and returned, we could have received it sooner.