The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-08
POsTMASTER VAN CoT1'S IMPROVE
MESTS.
soue or the Changes that Have Been We'll
come TO Business Mes.

como to Business Mes.
Postmaster Cornelius Wan Colt has shown
In a good many ways how much a practical
business man can do to make the Post Office
work come up to the requirements OF daily life.
He has made good many changes in the
methods OF work that have resulted in the saw
ing Of much time, and this without adding to
the cost. Take. Tor instance. the manner OF
asserting letters. Formerly the carriers we're
considered as doing good work II they assorted
1900 letters an hour. Now, by reducing the
number OF boxes, he has made II possible for
one man to assert $1,000 letters an hour, and
this without delaying the final delivery. but
expediting II.
One very important change has Decn made in
the method OF morning delivery by the carri-
ers. Formerly the first delivery was ut 1885
A. NJ. This left out the mail from tho East and
Wost, which was not delivered until an hour
later. Postmaster Van Colt found that by sim
ply delaying the first delivery ten minutes no
could lot the carriers take out tho Eastern and
Western mails with the first morning delivery.
| This saving Of an hour has been great ac-
commodation TO the business men OF the city.
Another change has been the order to dis
tribute mails In the order OF their receipt and
Uptown people have heretofore, long COM
| planned that their ma Is from the North were
DELAYED BY being S brought down t. bs shS ss
| Station +, and thon back to Harlem. Under u
new and very satisfactory arr4angemeht me u,
| Mott Haven and delivered directly from there:
making difference of two hours ~ the time OF
| folks very mucn.
The cross. town problem for tho delivery OF
| letters has always been vexatious. and many
complaints have been made OF delay In deliv-
| ernG letters that had really to so but lev
Colts new system a great deal of this source Of
! annoyance has been avoided by q very simple
and ingenious and inexpensye rlan He . has
the east and west sides Of the city, and along
Fifth avenue there are special boxes for letters
way those who deposit the letters with triflng
trouble assist the distribution, SO that a letter
the nearest subs, alton on that side OF the city.
and does not first go down to the gSSheral oifice
| delivery secured by this simple device has been
surprising. There is now cross,town circuit
Of mail 5 nus seTySG between S5a
nections across the city.
| The Postmaster secured the eternal gratitude
| of the members OF the Produce Exchange by
| the esta blishment Of new arrangements there
| Formerly, all letters posted at Branch Station
general Post Office up town and then back to
their destination. SO that letter to go down
changed so that letters mailed at Station p
are not sent up town. but are delivered directly
The establishment OF nineteen subsations
| all over the city for the sale OF postage stamps
stamped spyel9pes and postal cards the reg,
that have long been wanted. A new station
Eighty sixth street. Heretofore letters mailed
in that vicinity have been taken down 10 the
svenne al and over to Station Snffe' Now there is
direct communication between East and West
town CONNECTION at Fifty-third street
one Of the n s p9st5 ss 9n II I 6s
| ThirteeDt tn street This will be a great accom-
modation for publishers and others north 81
will be known as Station ..
Latterly the city Post Office has taken special
. pains to return undeivered letters. Formerly
delivered from there. Now when the person to
is at once returned to the sender from the, car
riers station when the name OF the sender Is
tiers returned to the SENIORS in this city last
year and the system of delivering them direct
tn the bat ALSO nS5 Post 81
flee, clerks and carriers o great deal OF work
place e The money ORDERS last year we're 1857
| gao in number. and amounted to 9l,OQ4.203.
or "S IL $50 "a letters Delivered By carriers
| stamps and stamped envelopes sold amount
ing to E s92s and hs Ns1s So Ge 81
misdlrec, ed letters corrected rs to the address
and delivered to the proper parties The aver yer,
ONCE is the sending out OF 565. 944 letters and
6l5,529 pounds OF newspaper a. The average
daily delivery By carriers s SS2274 Letters T and
boxes The total receipts at the New York
Post Office last year were over s5.OOO'OOO. and
the expenses left the Government an overplus
Of $3.5l1.44g. There has been vast increase
| of business lately. For the past three months
there were 29.5l0,7O5 more letters received than
| during tho same period last year. There was
| an increase OF 34.223.l99 in the number OF
pieces of mail matter handled in that time.
| There has been an increase OF domestic matter
| this year so far amounting TO 4,OODOOO pieces.
and an increase of sale OF postage stamps
amounting to 100000.