Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-10
DELIVERY TUBE IS PROBABLE
CAPITOL AND PRINTERY TO
HAVE SUBWAY CONNECTION.

The location of the city post Office at
the corner of North Capitol and G streets
northeast will insure the construction Of
a delivery tube between the Capitol build
ing and the government printing Office.
1t is said. For years the construction of
conduit for rapid delivery of copy and
small packages of printed matter between
the two points was under consideration,
but owing to the circuitous route neces-
sary on account Of the railway tracks no
progress was made.
1t is understood that the postal authori-
ties will cooperate with the public printer
in the effort to have conduit constructed
from the Capitol to the city post office.
and then across the street to the mailing
division of the big printery. Power can
be supplied from the present electrical
and an automatic switch will be installed
to send packages to the desired destina-
ton.
Problem Every Winter.
A problem is presented each winter in
meeting the requirements Of Congress for
rapid printing, especially in stormy
weather, owing to the necessity of sending
both copy and the finished product to
and from the Office by messenger. Re-
markable records have been made in han
ding hurried work required for imme-
said that with delivery tube in opera
ton, not to exceed one minute will be re-
quired in transferring either copy or COM
pleted work to and from the printing
Office.
The city post Office, too, has had its
troubles in facilitating the delivery of mail
to the Capitol, and although a regular
schedule has been maintained, 1t is not
comparable with the operation of a tube.
When the proposed delivery tube has been
completed, it will be possible to send mail
addressed to members of Congress to the
various committee rooms every quarter
Of an hour. If desired. In that manner,
too. the entire congressional mail from
each train can be dispatched to the Capt.
toll post Office before it would have been
placed in the wagons under the old
method.
The mail sent from the government
printing Office daily requires the use OF a
special conveyance, while at times the
two-ton wagons are called into use IN
handling large cOnsignments to the. city
post office. More than 10000 bags OF
Congressional Record We're deposited IN
the mail during the Fifty-ninth Congress.
and the circulation is constantly tncreas-
ing.
Pressing Button Does Work.
The new delivery tube will be available
pressing button the cars will be shot
into the distribution room of the new
post Office.
The superintendent of documents has
been an earnest advocate Of the proposed
transference of all mailing lists from the
various departments and other issuing
offices to the government printing ONCE,
where the wrapping and actual mailing
would proceed coincident with the COM
pletion of the work. and the proposed tube
system will, 1t is said, further this idea.
Much of the printing for the Post Office
Department is connected with the service
outside of the city, and it is thought to
be advisable that this printed matter
should be addressed and wrapped in the
Office and sent to the trains through the
tube. The great saving of time and labor
would induce other departments to fall In
line with this innovation, it is thought,
and result in a Capitalization of every line
of the publishing business at the big
printery.