Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-10
QUICK HANDLING OF MAILS
BARNES AID.
DRESSES ASSOCIATION.
Tells What Is Being Done to Facili
tate Delivery and Dispatch
Of Letters.

Benjamin F. Barnes, postmaster OF the
city. told the Randle Highlands and Twin
ing City Citizens Association, at its meet.
ing last night, of the innovations adopted
in the city post Office to facilitate the
prompt handling Of the mail.
1.-THE canceling machine, with its ca
pacity Of ten to thirty thousand letters
an hour: the typewriter. the adding ma
chine, the numbering machine and the
change maker have long since established
themselves as valuable aids In the postal
SERVICE" said Postmaster Barnes.
In the main Office at Washington q
great deal Of messenger work is now be-
ing performed by belt and other convey
ors operated by electricity This mechani-
cal service can be made continuous for the
prompt performance of minute errands
which under the old plan were necessarily
delayed until a sufficient number had ac-
cumulatcd to make it worth while for an
employe to leave other work to perform
them. In consequence mail is making its
necessary transit through the Washington
office with greater expedition than has
ever been possible heretofore. This means
earlier dispatch for some Of your out
going mail, and earlier delivery for much
of that which Is addressed to you.
How Time Is Saved.
ITO illustrate: Letters for Washington
from other points come into the Office
here done up in packages made up in
other post offices and in railway postal
cars. These packages, when dumped out
Of the sacks, were sorted into large tubs
on wheels, which as they filled were rolled
by hand to the stamping tables. fished out
by hand, cut open and the letters run
through the back-stamping machines.
he ho
with, the packages are instead thrown
onto moving belts and Immediately con-
yeyed to the stamping tables to be made
ready for the machines. They reach the
distribution cases much earlier, and with
a saving Of twelve hours work per day
(about $1,000 per year,. which was for
merly required In using the tubs. Again:
The carriers in routing their mail for ex-
peditious delivery find some mail wrongly
distributed to them by reason Of recent
part of new distributors. These the car
rier formerly marked for retreatment and
laid aside. to return to the distribution
cases when he was ready for more mail
Much of this misassorted mail did not get
back to the distributors until too late for
redistribution for the trip for which the
carriers were then preparing. Now a con-
stantly travelling conve3pr receives these
letters piecemeal as they are discovered
and marked. and whfsks them back to the
the right carriers when they make their
last drawing of mail, few minutes before
starting out on a delivery trip.
Collection Of Mail.
about year ago the Washington Office
secured its first automobile. a little three
wheeled affair capable Of carrying about
800 pounds. This machine was obtained
and used for the collection of mail from
street letter boxes. It was found canahle
of performing service with much greater
expedition and with material reduction in
expense. The Office now has seven auto
mobiles at work performing satisfactory
service, and doing it economically. Two
of the carriers have had the enterprise
and public spirit to equip themselves with
small automobiles In place of the anti
quated little carts and unsightly horses
which have SO long been in use. We be-
lieve we can use several more automobiles
to advantage in the Washington postal
service, and we hope the day is not far
distant when they will be obtained"
Public School Crowded.
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