The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1911-05-05
WHY MAILS ARE SLOW NOW

During the month of May all pos
masters are required to weigh, class
ify and count all pieces of mail hand
led and make record of it for each
day to send to Washington. This
delays the sending and distribution
of mails, so that matter posted just
before train time may not go out
until the next train, and incoming
mails will be delayed perhaps ar
hour in distribution.
| The reason for this drastic action
lies in the agitation for more econom.
ic handling of the United States mails
without materially reducing the eff,
cheney of the service. 1t has been
determined that the department must
ascertain where the great leaks are
that make the tremendous deficit in
the conduct of the postal department
and when it is done congress. will
consider what is best to do to put
it on paying basis or something
near that.
During the past few years consid-
cradle has been done to weed out the
unworthy publications that have bur-
dened the mails, and newspapers and
magazines have been hard hit. There
is probability that the rate on mag
azines will be raised so that many
of them will have to go out of bust
ness, and 1t is a question whether
this loss of business will not be a
loss to the postal department also,
or whether it will be relief by
losing business that is now being
done at loss. The fight from the
publishers standpoint has become a
bitter one, and the wrongs done to
the printing industry and to the peo-
pie, excepting favored classes, have
stirred up the question so that facts
are demanded and not theories.
The present burden is laid upon
the post masters, and If you have
been scolding about the slowness of
mails this week, just consider what
task the mail clerks have this
month. When train arrives with
CARLOAD of pouches, the mail must
first be classified, first, second, third
and fourth class, congressional frank
ed tho stamps, other franked, in
Guiding government, foreign and re-
gistered. 1t must then be classified
into newspapers at the pound rate,
at the pound rate, transit
ent with stamps affixed, cent for
four ounces, local delivery with
stamps affixed, free in county; third
class must be classified into circulars
and other third class, congressional
franked must be classified into let
ters and other matter, government
into letters and other mat
ter, foreign matter into letters and
other matter. ~
Then the number of pieces must
be counted in each pile and they
must be weighed and recorded as to
number and pounds, and the time 1t
required to handle it must be set
opposite those items, and SO on down
he line until the whole job is ready
Tor distribution. IL it requires an
lour or more day you will not re-
,eive your mail until II is done.
The mail that is posted in your
,ffice to be handed to your neighbor
)r to 60 to other Offices all has to go
through the same inspection and re-
,Ording before it can be sent on its |
way and then it has to be done over
It the Office of destination.
The carriers on the rural routes do
heir work in the same way, and If
hey have not already been earning
heir salaries it will be well earned
n the month of May. |
Free delivery of mail to Offices and
esidences in Blackfoot begins this
week. but the carriers have been
pending most of their time in get
ing the lists made up and route
established. Only those having mail
oxes in place will be served, and
II will have to pay full letter rate
n drop letters whether the person
ddressed receives mail by carrier or
trough the post Office direct. The
publishers Of newspapers pay extra
or the delivery of the papers to (,
atrons in the city limits, whether
ley take advantage of the service
r not. This Office is classifying its I
disorders for city delivery as fast "a
the official lists are made up.
Keith Snyder is carrier for the
est side of the railroad tracks, and
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