Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-05
MAILS DELAYED}
HERE'S EVIDENCE.
Cases of Hardness Not So
''IsoIated" as Claimed.
JUST A FEW COLD FACTS
One Local Letter Takes Side Trip to
Chicago. /
WAS PLAINLY ADDRESSED
Dinner Invitation Ten Days on It's
JUST A FEW COLD FACTS
WAS PLAINLY ADDRESSED
Dinner Invitation Ten Days on It's
Journey to House in Same
Section of City. +

isolated cases of undelivered. tardily
delivered or wrongly delivered letters con-
tinue to be brought to the attention OF
The Star in such numbers that it begins
to look as if Postmaster Barnes had used
the word isolated in a Pickwckian
sense. No better evidence of the complete
Generalization of the distribution and de-
livery divisions of the Washington post
office could be presented than this con-
stant stream of complaints which The
Star receives
A few instances of missent or delayed
lessness and tardiness of the service.
Mrs ii. C. Bolton. 1919 X street re-
ceived February % a letter mailed in this
IDLY and correctly addressed. Eighteen
days delay.
Took a Side Trip.
Miss Matte Boyd. AS College street.
received February %. i'm the evening. q
letter mailed in Washington February
26. The letter was plainly and correctly
addressed, but was sent to Chicago and
remailed to Washington by the Office of
the Illinois city before it reached the per-
son to whom it was addressed. Thres
days delay and trip to Chicago.
John L. d. Pyles. jr.. 1901 New Jersey
avenue, received February 20 a letter
mailed to him in the city January 22. The
address was typewriter and correct. De-
lay of twenty-nine days
note containing cards of admission q
the funeral services OF Bishop Satterlee.
addressed to w. p. Young. secretary of
the Franklin Fire Insurance Company, at
his home. 1870 S street, mailed in the
city at pm. February "a. was received
at 40 pm. February 25. two hours after
the services were, concluded. An example
of the injury worked by the lax arrange
ment of the service.
An order to J. G.. Meinberg's bakery.
with printed address, .'P. o. Box 1sS,
Washington. D. c.. mailed in Weverton,
Nd. February Is, and received in Wash
ington at am. February IA, was not
delivered until February II. The card
bore an order for merchandise wanted
February IA. An example of financial
loss inflicted on business men by the in
efficiency of the local postal service.
Hurts His Business.
In this connection it may be mentioned
that a Washington florist complains that
many letters addressed to him. contain
ing money in payment for flowers to be
delivered on a certain night, do not reach
him until after the date for which tile
order is given, and that, therefore, he
loses the sales and has to return the
money, besides suffering in his reputation
for prompt and accurate service.
An official of one of the commercial or
ganizations of the city also declares that
out of about 600 announcements mailed
by him to members $50 never reached the
persons to whom they were plainly ad-
dressed. in type.
Andrew ]. Benton. 80 f street north
east. received at $50 am. February 81.
letter postmarked in Washington at 10
am. February 19
Charles F.. Taylor 1910 | street. re-
ceived March a letter sent from house
ten doors away February ~. The letter
was plainly addressed and the person
to whom it was sent has been residing at
the same place for more than a year. and
is so listed in the directory. The letter
contained an invitation to dinner on the
evening of February 23. but by the time
the invitation was received the dinner
had almost ceased to be even memory.
Letters Piling UP.
For the past few days even ordinary de-
liveries are all late. current letters piling
up in the delivery room. while the clerks
are still working on mail that should
have been distributed the day before or
early in the morning. 1t is easy to see
tnaI, Will tie SoiScStAoi pcii ~
exist in the distributing division. a letter
mailed with the expectation of speedy de-
livery does not stand the ghost of a
chance There is a long waiting list
a mead of it, The letters must take their
turns and if each day the number not
vet disposed of increases it will not he
long before the office falls behind week.
instead of a day.
IT is understood that the force in the
distributing division was compelled to
work all Washington's birthday and the
SUNDAYS succeeding in order to make SOME
headway at clearing up the letters that
have accumulated through slow distribu-
ton. but even with this no appreciable
headway is made The clerks. it is said.
complain that they are being made 10
suffer on account of defects in MANAGE
ment.
However this may be- the public's first
interest is irf having it's mail delivered
promptly and accurately. No such Stu-
alton as this has arisen before and II IS
causing both annoyance and irritation.
Even the device of paying the Office
an extra ten cents for a special delivery
stamp to make sure that letter is de-
Jiyered with a promptness approaching
that customary under the regular deliv-
ery of a former management has proved
Intellectual since complaints are coming
in that the special delivery service is
faulty also.
No prospect of amelioration of the pres
ent conditions is held out, Mr.. Barnes as
surance that the service is good not yet
having been revised or brought up 10
date.