Albuquerque evening citizen., 1905-12-15
CHRISTMAS RUSH ON
AT THE POSTOFFlCE
Postmaster Hopkins Says
Force is Having All It
Can Attend to Now.
MANY MONEY ORD < GIFTS

Express companies and the post
office are beginning to feel the rusA
of Christmas business. especially the
later.
Postoffice officials are anticipating
mo.e holiday work this year jaan ever
before. The building is already beiLg
crowded. both in the public corridor
and in the various departments where
the work is being carried on, and
every available foot of space will be
needed 10 take care of the thousands
OF packages.
Postmaster Hopkins informs this
PAPER that his force of men are hav-
ing all they can attend to at present,
and he breads to think of what Is in
store for them the coming week.
Ordinarily the force has all the work
they can look after. When the Christ
mas rush comes, though, when the
amount of mail matter is tripled
many times, many persons are of the
opinion that this same staff should
do the work just as rapidly and sat
isfactorily as during March or April,
Because their mail is somewhat late
or mistakes are made, they file
kick. We are not favored with extra
men during the holidays, as many
eastern cities are. There are not
the experienced men to put to work
even if a provision was made for their
salaries. An inexperienced man in a
postoffice is equal to nobody at all
and would not have one around
The money order man at the Albu-
querque office finds about every min
ute of his time engaged, which indi-
Gates that many soul will be made
happy by cash gifts from Santa Claus
in New Mexico's metropolis. While
reporter from The Evening Citizen
staff stood in the lobby today, there
was a constant flow of humanity to
the money order window.
This week the local postoffice force
are for the most part attending to
packages which are being sent out
of Albuquerque. The first of next
week will witness the inbound pouch
es and then win the troubles start
in earnest. From all over the world
and to all parts of the globe the mail
comes and goes. This is accounted
for when it is considered that health
seekers from both the United States
and other countries are sojourning
here.
Almost any clerk in the postoffice
can tell the public that it is up to the
patrons to see that their Christmas
gifts are promptly delivered and not
TO the postoffice authorities in so
great a measure. This is natural be
cause the postoffice people are con
tinually sending, receiving and hand
ling packages of every description
4 postoffice official said:
Another thing that always has
caused delay is the flimsy manner IN
which packages are wrapped. They
are done up in a hurry many times
entirely unfit for transportation. This
is one point that really ought to be
emphasized.
"In every case parcels should b'
weighed before being mailed, anC
handkerchiefs, neckties or other ar
ticles of merchandise should not bt
placed in packages of printed matte
matter unless the sender wishes L
help out on the postal deficit by pay
ing the higher rate OF postage re
quired.
Parcels should be wrapped so tina
their contents can easily be exam
ined. Many times parcel misses thu
fast mail just because the clerk hai
TO take ten or fifteen. minutes off t
lluu out Wudl llc HdluIG VI NuC poi
eel is that he has in order to ascer
tain the proper postage classification
In placing stamps on the parcels tn,
higher stamp denominations should
he used-a 10-cent stamp takes mucl
less room than five twos do, and it /
quickly cancelled.
One thing that the general publi
mas not yet become familiar with j
hat the government has especially
provided the privilege of writing
Merry Christmas Happy New Year
Compliments of the Season. or an
writing of an impersonal nature, wit
vCur name It does not conflict II
any way with the postal regulation
and will in no case increase the rat
Of postage
In mailing packages TO a foreig
country inquiry should be made rC
garding restrictions, as in some case
certain things cannot be sent. Fo
Instance, in no case can jewelry o
coins be sent by mail TO a foreig
country.
1T is also well to bear in mind tha
the rate of postage TO Canada, Me,
leo, Cuba and our island possession
is the same as between points in tn
states.
I'm general the public can help tn
service immensely. and insure swi
delivery of its own presents, if it wi
hut exercise good common sense b,
fore depositing mail to be whizze
away by rapid trains providing no g
1T has been made.