The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1901-08-18
MAIL CARS TO CONTINUE.
The Order Term mating Part of the
Service Suspended.

=
Have Been Abandoned Today-No
O6ciaI Explanation Given for the
Change of Orders - Postmaster
Merritt's Views.
The Pcstotlice Department yesterday
held up an oder about to be issued to
discontinue the mail car service on the
street car lines operated by the Washing
ton Traction Company The oruer would
have gone into effect this morning had
not some pressure been brought to bear
upon the department. which resulted in
a suspension OF the order for the time
being.
1t is understood, however. that the two
mail cars now operated by the Postottice
Department on + and Ninth Streets Will
be removed some time in October 1t was
believed by the department that the mail
service obtained by the two cars in opera
tion over these lines was not Of sufticie mt
value to demand a further continuance
of the service.
The action of the Second Assistant
Postmaster General in holding uD the
order which would have resulted in the
removal CT two out Of the three mall
cars in use by the department i'll WASH
ington came as a surprise, as it was
generally believed that the order as
originally formulated would go into eff
feet commencing with today.
Just why the Second Assistant Post
master General should have changed his
mind is not known. The order was all
ready to go into effect, but was suddenly
rescinded and the service will continue
for some time yet, in spite of the evident
disposition on the part of the postoffice
no
transportation of mail branch By doing
away with what is considered to be an
unnecessary service on the + and Ninth
Street car lines
Considerable pressure is said to have
been brought to bear upon the department
for the continuation of the service over
the lines operated by the Washington
Traction Company. While the amount of
money derived by the company for this
service Is not great, the company is very
anxious that the service should be con-
tinued The moral effect upon the en-
pioyes OF the road. when the road is
Transporting Government mails, is said to
be powerful. For other reasons it is said.
the company was anxious that the service
be continued.
Whether the extension of the time until
October is in the nature of a few days
of grace is not known. 1t is known. how
ever, that the Postoffice Department still
has the question of disseminating the mail
car service on f and Ninth Streets under
consideration and that the matter is by
no means settled.
City Postmaster John A. Merritt was
seen in regard to the matter last night
He said that the order of the Second AS
sistant Postmaster General in regard to
disseminating the service OF two of the
mail cars now in use in the city had been
revoked. He did not know TO what this
action was due. The question. he said,
had been under advisement for some time,
and the order would probably have gone
into operation this morning had not some
unexpected turn been given to the situl-
ton. There was never any intention of
disseminating the service on the Pennsyl-
wanna Avenue line" said Postmaster Mer-
rift last night. The only service which
would have beer affected are the two
mail cars operated on the lines of the
Washington Traction Company, one eacn
on f and Ninth Streets. Tho Pennsyl-
vania Avenue mail car service has always
been more valuable than that on F Street
or on Ninth Street, from the very location
of the various branch offices. The city
postoffice is on the Avenue, as are the
branch offices which depend upon the mail
car service.
Two branch postoffices, D. in South
Washington, and G, on F Street, were de-
pendent upon the mail car service oper-
ated over the Washington Traction Com
pany's lines. 1t was the intention of the
department to provide these branches
once more with the mail wagon service in
use before the adoption of the street rail-
E,.l1Y
as good service as the cars. 1t was also
intended to discontinue the practice of
sorting mail on this line while the cars
were making their trips through the
northern part of the city and George
town
Mr. Merritt thought that the mail car
system in use on and Ninth Streets
might not be discontinued in October next.
although he mentioned this time a
probable date upon which the original or
der to discontinue the service might be is
sued
The residents of Georgetown. who have |
been informed of the contemplated move
Of the Pcstcisice Department, are inclined |
to attribute the decrease proposed in
local mail facilities in no small part to |
the poor service the citizens of that sec |
ton have suffered. II is common report |
in Georgetown that letter from Wash |
ington addressed to a New York resi- !
dence reaches its destination sooner than |
one sent to an address across Rock Creek |
Letters mailed downtown before mid |
night are not delivered in Georgetown |
until O'Clock the following afternoon, |
and repeated reprimands and censure on |
the part Of Postmaster Merritt have !
failed to remedy this conduct on the part |
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