Evening star., 1901-04-29
School Authorities Appeal to the
Post Office Officials.
DELIVERIES At SCHOOL BUILDINGS
General Boynton of School Board
Writes the Commissioners.
POSTMAS STEERS POSITION

The school authorities OF the District are
making effort 10 secure an earlier MORN
ing delivery OF mail at the various school
buildings within their control and incl
dentally are making plea for earlier
delivery throughout the entire city. so as
to reach and benefit all classes of citizens,
especially those in government employ. who
It is stated are now compelled to leave
their homes to go to office before the morn
ing mail arrives. The matter has been
taken up by the board of education ana
the assistance of the District Commission
ers has been called for.
1t appears from the correspondence that
has passed between the school authorities
and the city post office that the morning
delivery OF mail has recently been at
much later hour than was formerly the
case. The matter first came to attention
when Mr.. John T Freeman, supervising
principal of the third division, addressed q
letter to Postmaster Merritt, I'm which he
stated that for some time past the morn
ing mail had not been delivered at the
Wallach School building, at Pennsylvania
avenue and Sth street southeast. unIl after
. o'clock, and frequently later than 0:30
o'clock. Mr.. Freeman said he presumed
the delay was due TO a change In the de-
livery routes. for the morning mail was
formerly received at $50 O'Clock or soon
thereafter. The delay, he said, caused srri-
Gus embarra ssment in the dispatch OF the
business of the office.
To this letter Postmaster Merritt replied:
After giving careful attention TO the
matter referred to in your letter. 1 am Of
the opinion that no good ground of com
plant exists. If it were In my power TO
give you an earlier delivery, / should glad
ly do SO; but this is impracticable."
Makes Additional Statement.
Upon receipt of this letter. Mr.. Freeman
master. and, again addressing him a letter
on the subject, said:
Permit me to add that the work Of this
office covers the major portion OF East
Washington. there being In this division
ninety-seven schools OF nearly FIVE tboas-
and children"
Madison Davis the assistant postmaster,
replied to the second letter, saying that the
matter would be given careful considers-
ton and a remedy applied IL practicable.
At this point the board of education took
up the matter and Gen Boynton, president
of the board, addressed the following letter
to the District Commissioners, which has
been transmitted by them to the post Office
authorities with the request that some
lief be given in the premises. II possible:
The facts of the present situation are
these: A large portion of the teachers In
the schools of the District are obliged to
leave their homes before the morning mail
reaches them. and unless they order their
mail delivered at the schools they do not
receive 1t until they return TO their resi-
dences in the afternoon The delivery of
mail during school hours Is not desirable
The mall which the supervising principals
should receive early in order to expedite
the business of the schools frequently does
not arrive until after these principals find
it necessary to leave their Offices for their
daily visits to the schools Of their divisions.
This late morning delivery, which is n
comparatively new arrangement in Wash
ington, is a serious matter TO a very large
class of citizens, and, In this view. also, is
a subject OF which the Commissioners OF
the District may properly take notice.
The Effect of Delay.
I'm large sections of the city al least half
of all engaged in the public service as well
as those whose business calls them from
home before o'clock, do not now see their
family mail which formerly reached them
at breakfast time until they return for
dinner. Since the last delivery each az
ternoon leaves the city post Office three
quarters of an hour before the heavy south
ern and western malls arrive. these after
noon mails do not reach large class of
citizens until dinner time the next DAY.
Except for such of this class as visit the
post office on Sundays, their letters which
arrive Saturday afternoon do not reach
them until dinner time on Monday
The explanation furnished by official
OF the free delivery system for these an
tiQuated conditions is that each carriers
route has been sufficiently lengthened TO
compel him to average eight hours a day
AS consequence. those citizens who re
side on the last half OF routes are very in
differently accommodated by free delivery
This system seems to be based upon the
primary consideration of obliging carriers
to work eight hours, and incidentally to
deliver mails to our citizens
IF the Commissioners of the District
can bring influence to bear to cause a re-
form in the present archaic met hods q
large number engaged In the schools OF
ha Cfrfc OF ,.
number out of them will be saved great in
convenience"