The Pensacola journal., 1908-12-20

and 1U,000 pieces OF ur&-ciaSs endll
a day the percentage of errors Is very
small, kickers to the contrary
To protect the addressee as much
as possible from errors a system OF
check marks is used to show who
handled the mail at the distributing
cases; as an added precaution all mail
of which the distributors are uncer-
tain is placed out to be gone over by
the carriers and forwarding clerk. In
this way very few pieces go out on
the wrong route or are put in the
wrong box
From the distributors the box mail
is taken in sections and another mark
placed on each letter or card as ii is
boxed. This is the boxing clerks
check. AS boxing mali gets to be an
almost mechanical operation a change
of box number is very apt TO cause
errors until the clerks have been
lacked up" about it.. Have we not
all of US the habit of placing some
article in a particular place? Try
changing tne location and see how
often. until you force yourself to re-
member, you will use the old place
Clerks in this Office are human and
do not differ from the general run
the honor conferred ON them by peo-
pie thinking they can accomplish i'm
possibilities.
One Cause Of Errors.
One cause OF errors In boxing is
rather a delicate subject TO approach,
but the greatest good for the greatest
number prompts me to set it down. If
the evening train is on time the box
| ing clerks are usually working at 5
o'clock. At that time every clerk is
working under pressure to get the
mail up dn the best time possible, and,
as with piece of machinery, If cog
slips 1t is apt to throw something else
on; one Of cur patrons finds he has
ing until the mail is up or returning
for his key hia knocks ON his box for
| it to be opened from the inside.
/ 1t Is against the regulations to open
a box unless the person is known to
be the renter or his agent, as it is
practically impossible to identity a
lperson through the box door the clerk
has to stop boxing, follcw the patron
to a window, identity him and then
return and try to open the box.
Strange as 1t may seem the locks on
these boxes under these circum-
stances usually work so hard they can
not be opened from the inside, so the
lclerk has to take tne mail back to the
window and wait for the patron to
follow. 1t is true he has received his
mail and II has probably been a great
accommodation TO him, but there are
probably half a dozen men with keys
waiting for mail and they have been
kept waiting.
1 You ask how this causes nisboxing.
/ The clerk has letter in his hand
ready to throw to box 125. Looking
up to see what is wanted he misses
him aim mNand the letter goes in box
124 just above; In pushing by the 9TH
| er clerks TO get to the window 1--WE
are crowded for room) he may cause
the same accident. They each get
written up for these errors, as a mis-
boxed letter always comes back and
we nave the clerks. mark on it,
The carriers mail is a check on
itself as it will not be delivered un-
less the carrier is practically certain
that 1t belongs to the ADDRESS given.
Baek-stamping Letters.
The question Of backstampng let
tiers has been raised by a great many
people as well as by the department.
1t is true it causes a great deal of
extra and seemingly useless work, but
If often gives the addressee valuable
information and at the same time
gives the office an additional check
to place the responsibility of errors.
Stop a moment and think what six
men have to do, beginning at 4:30 p.
nj. Wednesday, IL the train is on time
land made all connections. The Mon.
day mail from the north arrives at
that time and is probably the heaviest
Iof the week. At this time of year, the
first week in December, approximately
5000 or 5000 letters and post cards.
to say nothing of sacks full of papers
land parcels, come in on this train. A
mail of this size will be practically
iup by o'clock and IL there have been
no Interruptions there have probably
tbeen not Eve mistakes made.
Special Delivery.
The next in order may be consider
ed the special delivery mail. This is
treated precisely the same as ordi-
mary mail until it reaches the office
of address where 1t is given special
attention. Here the letter, or parcel.
is hand stamped, given a number, en-
! tered in a book opposite the cores
ponding number with the name of Of
; fee of dispatch, name of addressee,
time of arrival, time of delivery and
the persons name who signed for 1t,
the latter after the special carrier re-
turns to the office with the signature.
Before entering on the registry sys-
Item let me call your attention to a
very good habit to form, namely, tnat
of placing a return card on the wrap
per of all mail matter. A small space
in the upper left hanc corner bear1ng
tine request, IF not delivered in
days return to John Doe" Pensacola,
Fla. will insure the return of the let.
tier if it can not be delivered within
the prescribed number of days. If,
however, he leaves on the number of
days, simply putting his name and ad-
dress, it viii be held thirty days and
then returned; IL neither name or ad-
dress is placed thereon the office has
no way to identify same, and. If il
cannot be delivered. it is sent to the
dead letter Office in Washington II
is there opened and returned to writ
er il possible. The failure to show to
whom the letter is to be returned may
cause an important business or prt-
vate letter to be the source of good