New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-10-06
POSTOFFTCE IMPROVEMENTS.
WHAT MIR. VAN corr HAS ACCOMPLISHED.
QUICKER DELIVERIES, CLOSER CONNECTIONS
AND A BETTER SERVICE GENERALLY

QUICKER DELIVERIES. CLOSER CONNECTIONS
AND A BETTER SERVICE GENERALLY
In entering upon his duties Postmaster OF this
city last sprne Mr.. Van Colt declared that he would
conduct the Office on business principles ana 90 MS
utmost 10 make the administration Of It's affairs salts
fac tory TO all farminded people. Mr. Van Colt has
not vet been IN cllcs six months. lie has hardly had
time TO got his hugo department in running order
that IS Us he would have it rn-much less make the
changes that he contcmplates. But in view OF inc
strained efforts that have been made recently by Ger
tain Mugwump organs to discdit his attempts to glVo
the city a nrst-cass postal service, 1t may not DO
smiss to call attention 10 some OF The improvements
that he has already made.
One OF the most important OF these is In regard 10
asserting the mail. This was formerly one OF the
most trying parts Of the Postoflce work There were
eighty scpsalors for carriers, boxes stauons' c'c
To keep track Of them all made 1t necessary ior inc
distributors TO remember 5000 to 5000 names iho
strain severe, and the men finished their lsoors
in an exhausted condition. These separa'ors nave
been cut down by rational divisions and sub-div
sions from eighty to nfy-ivc. thrtynve and seven
teen The result IS that where IL formerly took an hour
20 distribute 200 letters now 5000 letters car be as
sorted I'm that time Under this new arrangement
steamers mall be prepared in less than two hours
or less than half The time formerly required. One
ocean mail last Friday made ready in hour and
forty minutes The rapidty OF distribution may he
illustrated by the dsttbuton of the Brtanncs mails
the other day. There 205 sacks OF letters and
COS sacks of printed matter. The first sack was re-
ceved In the Office at 10 o'clock and the last at ii oi
in the morning. At 10 they ready for disir-
button
Another Improvement Is IN the distribution OF
mails In the upper part OF the city. Formerly those
mails coming on the Eastern and Northern railroads
we're taken 10 the Grand Central Station at Forty
seeond-st and then sent back 10 tho station al
one hundred and Nv enty -nith-st. Now they are
of Mott (nah
eghthst. and taken directly 10 the Onehundreda and
twenty 1fh-st. station where close connection Is
made with tho mail wagons fol the cast ana west
sides The result is that this mail Is delivered on the
fist instead of the second delivery, or TWO OF three
hours earlier than under the old system. similar
Improvement was made in the down town districts
Here the first delivery at 80 a. IN. The con
uectlon between IL and the eastern and northern
mails was so close that the early trains happened
10 be five or ten minutes late, is frequently the
case letters from Boston, ETC., would not be sent
out until the second delivery, at o'clock. by
making the first delivery at AS, Mr.. Van Colt has
provided for these frequent delays on the part OF
the trains and made It certain that the eastern ana
northern mail will be sent out III the first delivery
good deal of complaint used 10 be made at
the delay in getting back city card letters, that
i, letters to be returned 70 the writers those ; 10
these were brought back TO the station where they
mailed Kept aso d%y s sent e Back Ssa
Now they Are sent only 10 the receiving station
The trouble and delay that was caused by secondcias
matter has been donc away with largely by the new
ruc requiring publishers to assert their publcauons
ly states 4 vigorous effort has been made by The
new Postmaster 10 ferret out the postal thieves that
havo given the service much trouble in recent
years Five have been detected since July l, three
carriers and two boys.
The new Postal station "P." at the Produce Ex-
change for the accommodation of that part of The
city, will be open for business on or about october
Is The twenty-Onc sub-stations In different parts
OF the city recommended by the recent Postal Con
ventOn will be opened quickly as possible. These
siai Ions viii 1e for the sale of stamps, registering
OF letters and the issuing of money orders and postal