Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-12-01

IMPROVEMENTS
IN MAIL SERVICE
Direct Pouch From Las Vegas and
Albuquerque-Extra Allowance
for Carriers.

Postmaster Walter has succeeded
In having direct pouch exchange
established between Las Vegas, AL
buquerque and Santa Fe. From to-
day on, albuquerque will make a
direct pouch on Santa Fe via train
No. 10, which on days like Thursday,
when train No. 2, did not arrive in
Santa Fe until p. m., will bring the
Albuquerque mail and mail south Of
Albuquerque to Santa Fe at noon.
Las Vegas will also send a direct
pouch to Santa Fe on train No. g..
Formerly, Las Vegas mail reached
Santa Fe only in the evening, but in
the future, 1t will also arrive at noon.
In return, Santa Fe sends direct
pouches to las Vegas and to Albu-
querque.
An additional allowance has been
secured to mount another carrier on
bicycle, in addition to Carrier Ashley
Y. Reed Carrier s. c. MlcCrimmon
will be the second mounted carrier,
thus facilitating the delivery of mail,
east of Cathedral Street, and Wash.
ington Avenue to the city limits. An
allowance has been granted in addi-
tion to employ an extra carrier during
the holidays.
The postoffice force did not have
much OF a holiday Thursday, in fact,
holidays like Christmas are noted in
the annals of the average postoffice
employe by more work than that on
a business day, and Sundays are no
exception. The postoffice differs from
other federal Offices in this city in
that its activities commence between
$50 and 6 a. M, instead of 8 a. M,
and continue without the Interrupt
ton of dinner hour until Z p. M,
and sometimes far into the night, in
stead of ceasipg between 4 and 5 p.
m. Thursday Santa Fe trains Nos.
and 8, due the evening before, did
not arrive until $3.50 a. M, and to-
gether with belated eastern mail of
two days over the Santa Fe Central,
which arrived during the night. gave
work for distribution until $50 a. m.
At the same time mail had to be dis
patched for Santa Fe train No. 9,
which leaves the postoffice at 7:45 a.
IN From $50 to $50 a. m. both reg
istry and general delivery windows
were open from $3.50 to 1890 a. m.,
the Denver & Rio Grande mail had to
be dispatched From IL m. to / D. m,
when other federal employees were
supposed to be eating their Thanks
giving turkeys, the mail for the Santa
Fe Central and eastern connections
had to be tied out, and shortly after
one o'clock. the mail from Santa Fe
train NO. S of the night before, and
Nos. 3 and 10, arrived and gave occu-
patton until almost three o'clock to
the distributing forc.. Between 8
and O'Clock, mail for Santa Fe
train No. had to be dispatched
and after that arrived Santa Fe
train No. 2 and the Denver & Rio
Grande train, which gave work until
6 O'Clock. From 6 to p. m, the mail
for Santa Festrains Nos. and 10 had
ITO be gotten ready and 1t was not
before that hour that the postoffice
work which began at $50 a. m, was
concluded for Thanksgiving day, to
be resumed before 6 o'clock the fol.
lowing morning. The work entailed
in dispatching six and distributing
eight mails from three railroads a
day by limited Office force when
trains are running irregular and when
money order, registry and other bust
ness must be attended to at the same
time, makes the eight hour day seem
very short. However, the postoffice
regulations require work. in the post
Office only between a. n., and 6 p.
m., and at the registry and money
order windows only to 5 p. M, nor
do they require the distribution OF
mail on holidays Immediately upon
Its arrival. Only considerations for
the business interests of Santa Fe and
the lock box holders cause the above
mentioned long days, even on Sun
days. 1t must also be remembered
that the business of the local post
office has increased over twenty per
cent during the past twelve months
land must be handled by the same
force that handled the lesser business,
the department having refused to all-
thorize night service, because all
trains but one are scheduled during
the afternoon hours, only one, and
that very irregular, arriving during
the night, nor do the receipts of the
Office justify the employment of an
extra clerk for night service, however,
desirable this might be, both for the
postoffice and local interests.