New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-09-30
A FAULTY NAIL SERVICE
SLOW DELIVERY OF LETTERS IN THIS
CITY.
POSTMASTER DAYTON ADMITS THAT THERE Il
CAUSE FOR COMrLAiNr-A COMPARE

son WITH LONDON
Under the headline. "Our Shabby foS'ai "''-
vice" THE Home Journal' arraifnS inc "'"'"e'
~ the local postal service and accuses them OF ri
oci.rcv and shows the whole system 10 be "oiuHy
hehlnd the postal servce OF London. Ie''e'
rosted in New York" the writer says anu "u-
dressed TO Philadelphia will often be den'''e' III
that city In loss time than letter fha''"' '.''
Rrooklyn or Wall-st 10 Harlem. MISUNDERSTANDING
that the elevated roads are used for carrying IN"
malta And as 10 sDcona-class matter. newspapers
and the like their delayed delivery In ms CITY u
shame and a disgrace IN this nineteenth century.
Ncwspapcrs Il would SEEM are ihrdst hsld' "'''''
I, suits the convenience or the within Of the clerks
10 give them attention. You may mail TWO papers
srni,ltan ously AT the General Postonice ana one
Will be- delivered the next day. the other may come
along twenty-fOur hours after.
The article was shown to Postmaster Charles W.
Dayton who said
1T Is true there is SOM Tor complaint as t.
the delivery mail matter In the upper portion o.
tine CITY and this f. In consequence % the carriers
being restricted regular hours AMI not being Al
lowed 10 work overtime. We have a force oi about
1900 clerks and carriers. which Is Inadequate Tor
the best possible service. and with when w ai'
Unable 10 give the same service which London gets
IN it, metropolitan district with a force ~ l'"''
men The Pos:mastcr-tiea raj has been very solicit
,ous and very attentive to ~" wants % the N"w-
York Postofilc~ ana II Congress hal followed his
recommendation IN the way Of appropriations ana
arguments Of Congressman Dunphy hal been
needed the office today would De better equipped
10 meet tn. requirements Of the service.
"a perfect mail service" he added. in this city
would 80 very far toward perfecting the mall
service all over the country Every large centre.
such as Chicago. Philadelphia and St Louis. II
provided with every mail facility. would be the
means Of more rapid and certain delivery every
where"
HE FAvORs THE TUBE SYSTEM.
Postmaster Dayton 5 strongly In favor OF the
pneumatic tube system between this city and
brooklyn and IN regard to the same said:
AT an expense Of about $1,000. this plant could
be procured, i, would expedite delivery greatly.
and 1t would pay TOR itself In sixty days
As to the means OF sending mail matter TO the
branch postoflces. Mr.. Dayton referred to an. ar
tlcle published by him some time ago. in which
The present method Of sending malls between
the General Postonice and the branch Office sta
tons is by the old-fashOncd wagon service or ny
messenger service on the elevated railroads. Ow-
Ing to the lack Of proper facilities. the elevated
railroads unable 10 run express trains except
during the morning and evening. the result pc
ing that IT takes one hour Tor letter TO reach
From ecordT on hand It apPeans h m th so tha
the postoiices at New-York. Chicago phliaIel-
pha. Boston. St Louis. Cincinnati, itrookyn. san
class by themselves ana me apRroprntion1s maze
for them by Congress direct, without inc lhletier,
ence Of rules and methods as to allowances that
are properly applicable TO other postoiices.
Had this been done II is declared, PROVISIONS
might nave Deer IHdh' " o'titoi'c 'A'"'"e "'''''
cOmings. , -. IT,
In drawing comparisons between the Ncw-fork
PostoIicc and that Of London. Mr.. Dayton fur
nIshes the following statistics:
CONDITIONS IN LONDON.
There are In London eight district postofiices.
each in charge of postmaster Within the deiv-
cry district of each Of these Offices there from
~ 10 l73 branch and sub-pOs'ofices. the aggregate
number OF which is 49, making total Of S1 offices,
at all of which stamps may be purchased and letters
fa.i ~ Ian
1881 was 423l 43so that there IL IN that city posi-
office TO every s26S lnhab tans. The number OF oii-
GERS and subordinates regularly empioyev III ~, ase
are etter-carrlers. in addition 10 large auxiliary
force available for extra duty whenever required
The amount paid the latter IL equivalent 10 that
dtional men. that the actual force Il very nearly
I'm New-York there one general postofice.
eighteen branch postofice stations ana twenty-four
rib-statiors at all Of which in addition TO ora nary
postal business. money orders may be procured ana
paid and letters registered The resident population
is sol 739 and on that basis there Is allowed one
nos,1,ce 10 each Al 800 Of rs people. But during the
hnsiness hours Of each secular day the population Is
Increased by he influx OF large proporon OF tns
numerous other cities. towns ana vilages Ioca,rn
within radius OF fifty miles. all OF whom receive
and post their business correspondence AT New
and Considering this fact Is entlrey sae 70 est
mate that the proportion OF posiofices 10 popua-
ton in New-York Is TO 5000 The plumber
OF officers and employees OF all grades 6S
There are deliveries daily IN the VIII "fee'
district and four five uptown. . -,
inyes;igation shows that the complaints AZ to slow
delivery are well founded -, ali.
IT ! Clark. assistant superintendent or mails.
the mail OF all classes is disposed OF at the
So, oGice more expedious.y than ever. and X
.bere Is any delay IT occurs at the sub-sa'ions."