New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-02-21
MACHINES FOR POSTMARKING
THEIR ADVANTAGES OVER HAND STAMPS.

SOME OF THEM TO BE USED IN THE PosTofFioE
HERE sooy.
While the postal business Of this country IS sro"ns
with wonderful rapdlty. the force OF the Pos'o'c 10
partment>I is increased at a much slower rate IL Is
therefore of great importance to the mercantile 'hes
that stems should lie taken add to the efficiency OF the
cmpoycs by tne introduction Of laborsaving machinery
The average business man hardly appreciates ,o P"'"
taken TO deliver his mail promptly ara "i'no'' o',0i
The use Of canccling machines WILL however, "o,n
change of great moment in the business Oh
letters. and its influence Will IN tHe ioroo i'''
the notice Of the general public ,,o
Inventors have for some time been "orAns W ',""
a machine for cancelllng stamps and for inprihu"s
postmarls which would combine speed siDPh'"' a'u
comparative cheapness. At present the'o 40 -,
types of such pieces Of mechanism whch VIII "o,.''
be In operation in postohcos In the 'h'teu o''o'
several years the machines Of the American fostai
Machine Company have been In use III 'ho ho
Office The number has been increased from ye"' -
vcer an satisfactory are they, until now twenty lot
cancelllna and three for back stamping are run no'o
The most improved machines OF THIS company ha'o
a record Of from four to eight thousand an ho"' ~,
facing stamping canccllng, postmarklns' coun"ns "u
punching letters and postal cards Inc hgure '"''0o
with the speed Of the operator. bull pracuca es' '
shown that both facing and stamping can be done WIN
the machine In less time than facing alone can be done
bv hand By facing is the turning Of masses Oh
letters 50 that all the addresses shall be upward
The machines Of Hey & Dolphin, OF ms city, HaVc
met with such favor that PoStmaster-"cher'i ""i'-
maker has made a contract for 100 OF them, to be
distributed in various big potofhces some Vi .ne
Hey & Dolphin machines were tested here, IN fmia-
delpha and in Washington and their great value was
fully demonstrated. 1t found that one OF them
,rouId cancel pc>tmark count and stack letters ana
posta cards at the rate OF 10000 an hour. higher
average was attained. but that was wDch the speeu
was greater than could be kept up Tor n long ohe'
The instrument has the advantage Of cmnpactheSs'
II comprises receptacle or hopper. combined ieeu
and separator counter, a printing device ana
stacker Letters Of various sizes may be placed IN
the hopper and the passage Of more than one letter
NJ n time IS automatically prevented. IL the postage
stamp IS placed In any other than the ordinary
one the letter Is turned around and the poetnarK
comes I'm It's proper place.
II fakes two men 10 run the machine, one feeding
II and the other carrying away the marked letters
skilled man cnn stamp 5000 letters hour by hand
I'm n pinch but the average IS considerably lower.
Hey Dolphin machine will, 1t has been estimated
do the work Of seven or eight This also means
saving of space no unimpOrtnnt consideration In the
present crowded state q New York's Postohice
The improvement which VIII appeal most directly
10 the public IL the leeiGilty OF the machlhc'made
po,tinark. At present the place where and the time
when a letter was mailed or received are often so
are run by electricity. do their work with wonderful
clcaIness. The men who now assigned to stamp
ing letters are the recruits In the service, and they arc
often more or less careless. Besides. their task Is so
firing that good work cannot be kept mp long, especially
when letters are pllng up at heavy rate.
The raphlty Of the machines j. Of especial vaIne
between ) and O'Clock I'm the afternoon, when mail
comes pouring In NJ the PostOco In enormous volumes
Clerks cannot he hired 10 work only between those
hours, 80 the regular force Is overworked. and there Is
a danger that ali the mail viii not be ready for the
proper trains With the machines. this dificulty IS
done away with II,
IL Is not known vet how many machines VIII be
placed in the PostOllce here The instruments nre
only rented 10 the Government by the owners a
third concern. the NcwYorlI Electrical Company, has
also a chine for which f. claims marvellous speed
and eXcelcncy. -Four o these Will soon be- tested In
big post0nices. The United states seems to lead the
world In mechanical dqylces for stamping letters for
several Inquiries have nen received here from abroad
concerning such machines. One OF tho letters came
from Australia. .
The postal clerks offer no objections to the use Of
these machines. The men kept working under
great pressure nj times and will be glad for some relief
Those who Will no longer have TO stamp letters VIII
be- put at other work, and the public Will thus
be further benefited.