The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-12-07
FOR SANTA CLAUS
Postmaster Rodgers Organizing
to Accommodate ST. Nicholas.
Carrier Force Will Be Increased
Next Week.
IN REGISTRY OFFICE.
New Kind of Blanks Will Be in
Use.
Place Arranged to Weigh Pack
= =
N REGISTRY OFFICE.
Place Arranged to Weigh Pack
ages in Corridor.

On opposite sides ofethes center flat
| top desk, feet to feet and with chairs
| tipped at exactly the same angles
Postmaster A. X. Rodgers and Assist
ant Postmaster A. NJ. Fuller planned
out the annual programme of the
| Christmas crusade at the postoff1ce
commencing some time near the mid
die of this month.
The Topeka office is expecting big
business this year-even more than
last year and last year was a record
breaker. The general good times pre-
vaiiing add vast amount to the
Christmas good cheer and this year
there seems to be an abundance OF
both. But the postoff1ce employees
are going to have the task of their
lives.
Many new preparations will enter
into the postoffice accommodations
this holiday season. The first ad-
vantage to the handling of the crowds
will, of course, be the result of the
Improvements which have been going
on at the postoffice the last year. The
floor space of the working force has
been almost doubled and the Hobbies
of the postoffice have been arranged
to a great advantage to the patrons
New tables have been constructed. in
the main lobby and the stamp window
has been placed within reaching dis
lance. Before 1t was necessary that
patrons make a zig-zag trip through
the building in order to discover the
stamp window and when its position
was changed for night hours it was
moved from one end of the long cor
ridor to the other. This year the night
and day windows are but few steps
apart thus making the stamp pur-
chaser short call, step, and deposit
The working force at the postoffice
will be increased. At the present
time there are 81 people on the pay
roll of the Topeka postoffice depart
ment. 33 of these are carriers and the
rest handle the mails. The largest in
crease will be among the carrier force.
The five substitute carriers will be on
duty during the whole Christmas rush
and they Will be used as package car
riers only. The regular carriers will
handle their regular correspond
ence" stuff and the substitutes will
make as many trips as they have
occasion to load up. AS fast as a sub
stitute collects enough bundles and
packages on his beat to warrant a
trip he will start out and deliver
the goods" This will make it pos
sible for five and six deliveries a day
to the residential section of the city,
together with the regular two-times-a-
Christmas gifts. fall thick and heavy
on Topeka and there will be no
chance for misunderstanding as to
the good will" of your friends and
H.
The Registry Department.
The place of greatest interest in
postoffice during the Christmas period
is the registry department. 1t is al
ways the slowest. the most tedious
and still the most important of the
postoffice departments, especially dur
ing the yuletide. In past years the
Topeka postoffice lobby is crowded
with line after line of patrons and
packages. This year Postmaster
Rodgers promises the Uncle Sam Gus
toners new treat-in the form of a
quick registry. Quick" is an I'M
known word to use with registry but
this year it will be made to apply. This
improvement is due to the efforts of
Mr.. Rodgers and his head of the regis
1t seems that in all of the larger cities
of the country a new system of giving
registry receipts has been just INSTALL
ed. 1t resembles the night conduc-
tors receipt on the Rock Island ac-
cording to the experienced informa-
ton given by the assistant postmaster,
and all the clerk at the window has to
do is to write down, two numbers on
a printed blank. heaye a blotter on
the wet ink. apply one END % the damp
tongue and slam the whole affair on
the presented package. The sender
gets the unlocked portion and the rest
goes through the mail. This is easily
16 to times faster than the old way
and will be used for the first time in
Topeka this season, The old way re-
quired at least a minute for each
package. The idea is printed blank.
filed in with two numbers of the
same value and one part pasted on the
package with the other in the hands
of the sender But the postoffice is
going to expect little help from the
public. In fact the department will
require a little assistance. This will
be in the matter of addressing pack i
ages. The rules are simple but carry |
an iron clad meaning with them. Cd |
Use ink. CD Write plainly. CD If
in city give street address. ca If in |
small town give county. (5) Tie Sc
curely. All of these simple rules must |
be carried out to the dot or the pack |
age will not be accepted at the postof- |
fee window. The ink rule is a great |
help to the employees as well as the |
public In the series of landings and |
mixing, pencil marks will soon blurr |
until nothing can be recognized. Some |
people write in anything but the Eng |
fish language. The government adj |
vises imitation printing If this is pos |
it is. The name of the city I
should be very carefully made out. I
For instance the postoffice authorities |
are always getting mail mixed be- I
tween Florence and Lawrence, Herring /
ton and HofsingtOn, Horton and Hol- !