Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-03
THE G. STREET STATION
PROPOSED ABOLITION OF IT'S
CARRIER SYSTEM.
It is Claimed That It Would Result in
an Improvement of the
Service.

In connection with the suggested removal
of the street station of the city post
office owing to the alleged exorbitant rental
charged the government for the use of the
present quarters, 1t Is said by the officials
of the general post Office that the abolish
ment of the carrier system of the G street
station would result in an improvement Of
the service to the benefit of all persons
who are served from that station.
This is explained by those in charge by
showing that the mail that comes from the
trains to the central Office has to be made
up. or routed. there for the several sta
tons of the city from quarter of an hour
TO an hour before the carriers start on their
routes from the central Office, consequent
waste of that much time from the stand
point of the carrier service.
Mail that comes from New York. for
instance, to the general post office at
o:4O o'clock in the evening is delivered In
the territory served by the carriers of the
general office that evening, while it does
not reach the territory covered by the G
street station until the next morning
Inc reason for this seeming delay lies in
the fact that the mail for the G street ter
ritory has to leave the general office at
least half an hour before the general Of
flee carriers leave to deliver their mail,
In order to make the deliveries in all parts
or the city as nearly synchronous as pos
s1ble- In the meantime. while the mail for
G street is in transit between the general
office and the substat ton more mail is COM
Ing In. which will be taken by the central
Office carriers on their next trip. the G
street carriers not getting it until the next
morning.
Pneumatic Tube Service.
A pneumatic tube service would save this
time, but there are no pneumatic tubes in
Washington. and the method in vogue has
been found to be the only feasible one. If
the carriers now stationed at G street were
transferred to the general office they could
wait until tn last moment to get their mail,
ana all would start on their routes at the
same time. the residents and business Der.
sons OF the G street territory getting the
latest mail coming into the general office
on any day. instead of having to wait I'M
I'll In next morning for the last incoming
mail.
When 1t is understood that several thous-
and letters are received at the general post
ONCE after the mail for the street sta
tion Is sent out 1t will be better understoon
what this delay in delivery means to the
residents and the post Office officials 1t re-
suits in congestion which they say could
DE removed by the adjustment of the car
rier system at G street, and the centraliza-
ton of the carriers at the general office.
What Would Be Lost.
All that the residents and business per-
sons of the G street territory would lose
would be the facilities they now have for
the transaction of all their post-office bust
ness at the 6 street station that station
then being called upon to furnish nothing
but stamps and to attend to the forward
outside delivery.
This is all that is required of the F street
station. known as Station c. and there has
never been any call for carriers for that
station. The consequence is that F street
receive out-of-town mails that come to the
city half an hour or more later than that
sent to the G street territory, the last mails
not being delivered in the latter territory
until hte morning after their receipt at the
general Office.
The Importance of a business fir mgetting
letter twelve or more hours earlier than
1t has been receiving it can be well under
stood by those directly interested. OF
course the mail that comes to the general
office during the day are delivered the same
day. except the last ones, but there is a diff
ference OF at least half an hour in their de-
livery between the zone covered by the GEN.
trail office and that of the G street station
This could be obviated by the change
suggested, according to the officials who
and there is strong reason to believe that
the change will be made for the better
ment of the general service
1t is not yet determined If the site of the
G street station will be changed. that mat
ter being in the hands of the post office in
spectOrs who have been investigating the
alleged high rate of rental paid for the
present site. 1t Is said that $500 a year
is paid for one small back room at that
station. and that the light and facilities
are both poor and the space inadequate for
the business done by the station
The same official investigation has de-
veloped the fact that the entire building
rents for a higher price than could be had
from any tenant but the government. and.
while no move will be made if good service
warrants retention of the present quar-
ters, the matter will at the same time be
carefully gone into and such changes made
as WILL in the opinion of the officials quail
fed to judge, be for the best good of the
service.
AS already stated in The Star. the pres
ent quarters were rented during the ad-
ministration of Beavers at the head OF the
division Of salaries and allowances. that
division making all allowances for the