Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-03
MAIL DELAYED FOR HOURS
NEW CHECKING SYSTEM IN THE
POST OFFICE.
Distributors Mark Letters They Han
die So That Errors in Manipula-
ton Can Be Traced.

A string Of mysterious hieroglyphics
stretching across the envelope has been no.
ticed by many business men on receiving
their mail lately. On one letter would be
found ''x9x9x9x9x9x9." and on another
''p3p3p3p3p3p3," and SO On ad inflnitum. II
it not the high sign of the Black Hand, OF
anything like that, but 1t is causing demon
alization in the local post Office and is de-
laying the mail to local business men from
two to six hours. Moreover, 1t Is causing
the distributors in the local office to work
ten hours a day instead of eight, as the
law requires, and, in fact, everybody. save
only B. F. Barnes, postmaster, Is perturbed
and uneasy.
Going back to the meaning of the mystic
symbols-Mr Barnes thought too much time
was being wasted by the distributors Of let
ter mail. He also thought they were care
less, and in order to place the responsible
ity for errors on the right man, he had each
distributor designated with a 'x3'' or a pa %
or any other old combination Of letter and
figure that happened to be appropriate.
This combination was nodded into rubber
stamps, and each distributor given one,
with which he was directed to stamp each
envelope he handled. Thus when envelopes
were wrongly pigeonholed, or unreasonable
delay in delivery might be complained of,
the lynx-eyed inspectors could trace the
error to the offender. Fine scheme,
thought the officials.
But no weverything is in an uproar on the
first floor of the big granite building at 18th
and the avenue. KickS-good, able- bodied
kicks-are coming in from the business dis
trict. to the effect that important mail that
should be delivered on the first delivery in
the morning comes along at II o'clock, and
sometimes not until noon. or later. The
kickers want to know why, and only today
have they made the discovery.
Delayed for Hours.
One complaint went to the local Office
with half a dozen envelopes, bearing post
marks New York, April 30, 4:30 p.m-." on
the face, and on the back. washington,
May l. am One letter arrived in Wash
ington at IL o'clock Tuesday night, and &C
cording to the kicker none Of the letters
was delivered until the noon mail the next
day. From the higher officials the kicker
could obtain no excuse that was either
adequate of plausible, and SO he waited in
ambush for one or two Of the carriers with
whom he was personally acquainted From
them he learned that the entire Office force,
or rather the carrier and distributing force.
is decnoralized, due to this new-fangled
scheme of mystic symbols.
He found, he says, that in order to place
that tell-tale stamp on each envelope. each
work and as no additional distributors have
been placed on the roll, the mail, Of
course. suffers
However the officials have insisted that
the same amount of letters be handled by
each distributor. and hence it has become
necessary for the distributors to work ten
and eleven hours day, whereas formerly
they worked only eight.
Further inquiry by a Star reporter
among the carriers corroborated the story
In every detail. Nine out of ten of the
business men are wondering what Is de-
laying their letters Some few examine
the postmarks and discover that the delay
is in the local Office for there can be no
other conclusion when letter shows plain
ly that 1t was received In Washington at
IL pm. and 1t Is not delivered to the ad-
dressee in the heart of the business sec
ton of the town until noon the next day.
To be sure, the mystic symbols do not
mean what Mr.. Barnes intended they
should-a better service. On the contrary,
they are causing the same result OF most
mystic symbols-consternation and trouble.