Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-06-12
WANT. MODEL, PLACE
Latest Devices to Be Used in
New Post Office.
SAVING TIME AND LABOR
Plans of Committee for the Interior
Arrangements.
MEETING WILL BE TOMORROW
Postmaster Merritt Explains the Ad-
vantages Of the Belt Conveyors
That Will Be Installed.

/ According to present plans the special
| committee having the matter In charge
will meet tomorrow at the Post Office
| Department to give its final approval to
the plans for the interior arrangement
Of the new city post Office. the location
of divisions, the furniture layout. the
| mechanical devices and the quarters TO
| be assigned in the building to the local
| division of post office inspectors the
| third division Of the railway mail serv-
ice. the topographer of the Post Office
Department. the dead letter Office and
the division of post Office supplies,
branches Of the department which are to
be quartered in the new post office build
ing. They will then be ready for the
President, the Postmaster General and
the Secretary of the Treasury.
The committee consists of DR.. Charles
p. Grandfield, first assistant postmaster
general. chairman. Postmaster n. A.
Merritt, Frank Galbraith. superintend-
ent Of mails in Chicago. and Edwin
Sands. assistant superintendent of for
eign mails at New York. John Washing
ton. superintendent of delivery, at New
\ ork. who was member OF the commit
tee. died recently. Pierce Anderson, rep
resenting the architects, u. II. Burnham
81 Co, OF Chicago. will attend the meet
ing Of the committee.
Model Post Office Desired.
Postmaster Merritt said today that in
making these plans the committee had
endeavored to carry out the earnest
wish of Postmaster General Hitchcock
| that the new city post office should be
so equipped with furniture and me-
| chanical devices that the office may be
the model post office of the country.
He did not care to go into the de-
tails of the Office furniture. but said
the mechanical devices to be used to
save time. labor and expedite the serv-
ice to the uttermost as we'll as insure
accuracy and safety in the handling
of the mails, as we'll as ultimately eff
feet saving in the cost of the service,
will be the best of their kind known.
In the present office belt conveyors
for transferring the mail from one part
of the office TO another, TO save the
labor of handling it in trucks and the
time of those engaged in making it
ready for prompt dispatch or delivery.
cover three systems. In the new office
there will be ten systems, covering
twenty branches.
Conveyors a Yard Wide.
Some of the belt conveyors on which
the mail will be placed will be thirty
six inches wide and will easily carry
mail bags and pouches, as we'll as
trucks of mail
One OF these conveyors takes the mail
from the separation cases in the mail
ing division to the separating cases in
the carriers division, and affords a con-
slant service between the two, thus
preventing delay even to a single piece
that may arrive after the bulk of the
mail has been passed. Another com
bines an automatic "sweep-off basket"
which makes a circuit of the collecting
tables of the mailing divisions to the
cutting tables, the delivery division. the
special delivery division and the letter
drops. making circuit OF 500 feet in
four minutes. This means not only
much greater expedition than in
handling the mail by hand. but a say
ing in the time of employees. which is
much more costly. A registry conveyor
from the opening section Of the registry
division to the carriers cage in the de-
livery division is secured with a rotary
lock. insuring absolute safety and
great saving of time in the handling
Of the valuable mail of the Office.
Separating Basket Conveyors.
Four separating basket conveyors above
the letter carriers desks, serving each
carrier and dumping at four stations in
the carrier division. catch up what is
known as the overthrow or the mis-
distributed pieces. and transmit them
promptly to the carrier to whom they
should go for delivery. These conveyors
not only save the time Of the carrier in
returning misthroWn pieces, but they in
sure against delay which might result II
the carrier as would likely be the case,
on discovering one mushroom piece,
should lay il aside until he had finished
his distribution before turning IL over
| 10 the carrier to whom 1t should have
been sent I'm the first instance.
1 One great conveyor will be provided
for taking up the mail bags at the
wagon platform and carrying them up an
inclined plane OF thirty feet to the main
floor This conveyor Is strong enough 10
carry a truck load of mail. similar
conveyor is provided for incoming mali
| received for delivery.
The mechanical devices themselves, 1t
is said will be a revelation to Washing
ton, and in addition to doing all that is
expected OF them in saving time. labor
and delay. viii, save money in the long
| run,