Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-20
Increase in Business Over
That of Last Year.
LOCAL DELIVERIES LARGE
Post Office and Express Companies
fastening Shipments.
GREATER FACILITIES PROVIDED
Buyers of Christmas Gifts Began
Early in Season-Review Of
the Conditions.

All Washington is astir these days.
The Christmas rush is on and ION with
vengeance" say those who are do
ing the first handling of the thou
sands of Christmas gifts that are to
brighten Christmas morning. At the
express depots and offices, the business
places OF the parcels delivery COM
panies and the city post Office and it's
many stations. classified and contract,
the rush Is making itself felt. Wild
guesses place the percentage Of in
crease of packages handled at from Is
to 30 per cent greater than last year.
No one really knows what 1t Is. and
those best able to give 1T are SO busy
they haven't the time
The Merchants Transfer and Storage
Company. which handles the delivery
business for about 30 of the largest
stores of the city. says that business
alone amounts to from 5000 to 1000
packages a day, and the number is grow
ing. with the probability that tomorrow
and Friday will break the record. Forty
wagons. including eight automobile de-
livery cars. clean up the business daily,
| except in the case of the suburban pack
livery the morning after purchase. This
morning at O'clock saw the force at
work preparing for this delivery.
Besides these wagons and automobiles
there are as many more heavy hauling
teams at work on the big boxes and the
like that have to be hauled and delivered.
Thousand Packages Daily.
Just now. the manager says, the COM
pany is delivering. an average of about
1000 packages more daily than on the
same days last year. Three departments
are run. one for small packages, one for
large ones. or what is known as truck
stuff. and one for the toys. This COM
pany delivers also all suburban packages
for the Adams and United states Express
companies. the manager says, and en-
ploys about 80 men in its service.
At the city post office and it's stations
the rush Is on. but the work of handling
the mail for delivery has been SO system
affixed and anticipated by Postma ster
Merritt and his force that glimpse into
the big mailroom would scarcely indicate
that pressure was being felt. Yet the re-
ports indicate that the number of incom-
ing and outgoing packages which are sup
posed to contain Christmas presents has
increased probably II per cent over the
number of last year. when between De-
cember IA and - II reached the enormous
total of 11a.24i, in addition to $4,000 post
cdTOS containing CHRISTMAS greetings.
In the delivery division, which includes
the letter. carrier force the increase Of
pieces received for delivery this year 10
estimated at % per cent in matter of
local origin and of 10 per cent from other
post offices.
Rush Began Harlys
The rush this year. Postmaster Merritt
says began earlier than that of year
ago, which was not cleaned up until tie
evening OF December %. This year.
however, he hopes to have everything In
the Office delivered the evening of Christ
mas day. for the first time in the history
Of the Office.
Beginning today seven wagons will
assist in the delivery Of the package
mail, three at the main office, two at
the Capitol Hill station and one each
at stations and G, the former at
Mount Pleasant and the latter near
the corner of 7th and G streets north
west. Yesterdays mail for delivery
was 33 per cent heavier than that of
the ordinary run of mail. There were
approximately 10000 letters received
for delivery. 10000 papers. 10000 post
cards and 10000 packages.
The outgoing mail in the past few days
has run between 1900 and 5000 pieces
heavier than last year. while Saturdays
mail was 5000 pieces heavier than the
same day last year. The sales OF stamps
piled, run approximately the same as last
year. But 1t is explained that last year
the stations had not been fully stocked
up in advance, whereas this year they
have been. The sales in December last
year reached the total Of $157. 2S0.72. This
year they will run much larger.
More Special Deliveries.
The special delivery service this year
is also feeling the effects OF the rush
and has been handling at the rate Of
about one thousand pieces daily. many
of them small parcels that probably
contained jewelry. 1t is expected dur
ing the closing days Of the. week this
volume will be doubled. Every article
that can be sent in the mail. it was
explained Is admissible to the spe-
cial delivery mail II 1t bears the spe-
cial delivery stamp.
The postal savings depository in this
city Is not feeling any bad effects from
the temptation to buy Christmas presents.
II was stated, except that there have been
more Withdrawals. Between the 18th and
the 10Th of December the Withdrawals
averaged about $40 daily, but the new
accounts opened. and the amounts de-
posted keep pace with records Of quieter
times. 1t was explained that at the end
Of the first two months operations the
balance remaining on deposit to the credit
Of deposttors amounted to $40, S4S, while
on December 10 the amount on deposit
reached the total Of $51, 2G7.
Too Busy to Talk.
The express companies are too busy to
talk figures at this time. but their rep
resentatives who were seen said they es-
timated an Increase in business this year
of fully Is per cent az compared with
last year. They explained that In the
express business the matter for delivery
| at nearby points, which constitutes gen.
orally the bulk of the Christmas business,
is mailed In the last day or two before
Christmas.
They say folks as q rule begin to ex-
press their packages for distant points as
early as two weeks before Christmas day.
and as the time draws nearer to the holi-
day the points of consignment draw
nearer. SO that the full effect of the big
business can hardly be told until 1t is
| about over.
But they say they are prepared for it
! this year. All of them have extra
wagons and men at work and available
| both for collection and delivery service,
and no delays need be feared from the
4 local aeryice