New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-04-08
SERIOUS POSTAL DELAYS.
OFFICIALS ADMIT THEIR INABILITY TO
COPE WITH CONDITIONS WHICH
GROW STEADILY WORSE.


Postmaster Van Colt and his staff are no longer
able TO conceal the fact that the local service Is
becoming inferior to that afforded in other cities
of the United States. but they apparently
helpless 10 remedy the existing evils until Con-
gress decides TO increase the facilities here
So many complaints have been uttered about
the lack Of room in the Federal Building that
IT is feared the Department at Washington
has become tired Of hearing about the New
York office. An appropriation bill was intro
duced some time ago. but it has not been favor
ably reported by the committee. and there is
suspicion that nothing is to be done this year
looking toward relief.
People busy with other matters are long suf-
fering when II comes TO paying attention to I'M
proving postal facilities If they get a dozen let
tiers with desirable promptness and only one
goes astray or is held over day, or even half a
day. the disappointment is likely to be only
temporary. and the matter is soon forgotten
But the delays Of which business men are be-
ginning to complain in this city are of unusual
Importance. since they indicate an impairment
of the entire local service.
PRECAUTIONS IN VAIN.
Postmaster Van Colt and Assistant Postmas-
ter Edward ]. Morgan frankly admit that the
local service is becoming faulty, but they stout
" assert that it is no fault the part Of the
executive staff. Both officials emphatically and
fatty assert that any delay in handling mail
matter when a sudden congestion occurs in the
office by the arrival of several ocean steamers
on the same day. toward holiday time when
the mails are overtaxed. can be charged wholly
10 the fact that the growing business or the
New-York Office at times actually swamps them,
although precautions are taken TO have extra
men ready.
In a nutshell it makes little difference how
,,Diox- Cd ot Times NJ
congestion; there is such manifest lack OF
room that the men are in one another's way.
II il could be arranged that when the extra
rush Of mail matter comes the extra men could
be set to work at 1t with plenty Of room. the
solution of the problem would not be hard
one. The reverse is true. When the extra rush
of mail comes and the additional men are put
on the working space for sorting the mail IS
rot only greatly contracted. but the new men
sprawl over one another and interfere with the
regular skilled help. This fact is demonstrated
over and over again.
II there were no growth in the volume of the
mail matter handled it would be practicable by
systenatizng the work and adopting improved
methods to get along advantageously in the
present building But there is a steady increase
IN the business and receipts. This increase
amounts TO about 8 per cent year. While this
growth in business IS in one sense an inspiration
TO the local officials the quarterly report TO the
Postmaster General is fast becoming nlsht-
mare as each three months brings the once
closer TO the point WI re the service Will under
go a serious breakdown. An increase of per
cent a year means that in less than twelve
years the business Of the local office doubles.
This fact gives a better idea Of the needs of the
office than other exhibits, as ii stands to rea-
son that an office built decades ago cam
the business has trebled in that time
SOME SERIOUS DELAYS.
A few days ago the attention of Postmaster
Van Colt was called TO the fact that package
mailed on Friday afternoon at 4:3o O'Clock did
not reach its destination, within block of the
Fostofice until Monday morning. The package
WAS mailed at One-hundred- and twenty-hrst-st.
and Seventh-aye. and was plainly addressed.
IL so happened that week ago yesterday was
q record breaking day in the handling of second
class mail matter at the local ONCE. Every
thing was upside down all day Saturday, ana
the tired clerks quit work at night with nun
dreds of pounds of mail still undistributed.
When this was made clear to the owner or the
package IT occurred TO him that he was one OF
the many victims Of the deplorable conditions
now existing In the rush his package had oeen
missent and he had to walt till Monday morn
ing for il. On the same day bundle OF Illus
,rated London and Paris papers lay in the Post
office all day Sunday because there were not
proper facilities for handling the second-clas
known from experience that the papers should
have been delivered him on Saturday he
would not have sent his office boy for them three
times but knowing that they were Que, ne
looked for them. sent for them, and could not
understand the reason for the delay until Mon
DAY when he was told that the second class
matter had swamped the Postoffice on saturday
a condition of things like this is considered
bv uppreiudfced observers as an outrage on the
people of the commercial centre OF the Nation
The Board of Trade and Transportation and the
Merchants Association have tried TO help me
Postoflce people in bringing their needs 10 the
attention of Congress, but after all is SAID ana
done no money is appropriated and no reIler
is afforded.
fThere is no lodging the fact that our lack Of
proper facilities is already embarrassing the
business men of this city in various ways sald
Assistant Postmaster Morgan yesterday to a
Tribune reporter. The increasing business can
not be done without increasing the facilities for
doing it, We get stalled every few weeks, and
thai means of course, that the mails are not
being delivered with their usual promptness.
Men at work down in the cellar cannot work as
they would be able TO in well aired room
There are three carriers on each beat and desk
room here in the Office for only two The result
is that the third has to skirmish around
the best way he in order TO find a place 10
work The mailing division ought TO be taken
out of this building and the space IL now occu-
pies given over 10 the city division.
THE hardship to the men and the injury TO
their health are the worst feature of the whole
business Down in the basement of the Post
Office in the time the air is sitting, and
the dust from the bags makes IL most injurious
10 the lungs. An per cent increase year on a
business amounting 10 S9.0o00e0 annually is
tremendous in the course of two or three years,
and yet we have to get along here with the same
room did fifteen years ago, when the
business was less than half what IL is now. We
just about at our limit.
INCREASE IN POSTAL RECEIPTS.
GENERAL PosToFFICE DOES EXTRAoR-