CAPE POST OFFICE RUNS OUT OF 3-CENT STAMPS

John Freeze took his telephone bill, house payment and insurance premium to the post office Tuesday. It wasn't long, though, before he took it all back home because he couldn't buy a 3-cent stamp.

At 2 p.m. Tuesday, the Cape Girardeau post office ran out of 3-cent stamps. All the 1-cent and 2-cent stamps also sold out. A new supply of 3-cent stamps is to arrive today, or Thursday at the latest.

Postage increased to 32 cents from 29 cents the first of the year. That made 3-cent stamps hot items at post offices.

"I hope they don't dock me on the late charges," Freeze said as he headed for home. "I think I'll write a note on the envelope that these are late because I can't buy stamps."

Traffic jammed the parking areas at the Cape Girardeau post office. Customers waited in lines for as long as half an hour.

"I think every person in Cape Girardeau has been here today," said Matthew Peters, manager of the post office's customer services.

Last Wednesday, the Cape Girardeau post office had 80,000 3-cent stamps.

"I've got another 60,000 on order," Peters said. The stamps were scheduled to arrive today, but Peters said the Kansas City post office was also swamped Tuesday, which could mean a delay in shipments.

Plenty of 32-cent stamps are on hand, but customers want the 3-centers.

Peters called post offices throughout Southeast Missouri looking with no success for 3-cent stamps.

At Jackson, customers crowded the lobby all day Tuesday. Postmaster Joyce Westrich said they had some 3-cent stamps, but they weren't sharing.

In fact, she was concerned that the Jackson post office would run short if shipments don't arrive as scheduled. The Jackson office sold out of books of 32-cent stamps and the peel-and-stick 32-cent stamps, but sheets of 32-cent stamps were available.

The Scott City post office also had a steady stream of customers Tuesday, but the supply of 3-cent stamps held out.

Cape Girardeau post office customer Dot Hess wondered what to do with her insurance payment, which already had 29-cent stamp affixed.

"I think this is terrible," she said. "It's terrible planning when we want to buy 3-cent stamps."

Ralph Sharp solved the problem by purchasing 32-cent stamps. "I had some leftover 29-cent stamps and I didn't figure there would be a problem buying 3-cent stamps," he said. "One would think an organization as large of the post office would have enough foresight and planning to have a sufficient supply on hand."

Jackson Postmaster Westrich said: "This is common any time we have a rate change. Everybody waits until the last minute. Stamps are going like hotcakes."