The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-06-07
MAGAZINES IN MAIL
TO GO AS FREIGHT.
Monthlies and Fortnightlies to Be
Distributed at Sixt Points,
Starting July l

Experiments conducted by the
Railway Mail Service in conjunction
with the post office department of
St Louis and elsewhere for the last
ten weeks show the government can
effect an immense saving by shipping
a large part of its second-class mail
matter on freight cars rather than
in mail cars. as has been the prac
tice heretofore. The class of mail
in which the change will first be
tried is the semi-monthly and month
ly publications of the east, which it
is planned to bring to six distributing
points in freight cars. These six
points are St. Louis Cincinnati Chi
cago, Kansas city, st. Paul and pma
ha. Bids from the railroads for the
freight car service have been asked,
to begin July 1. 8itltt
An idea of the saving to thei gov
crnment is gwen by the sta tement
that it costs the post office depart
ment about cents a pound to car
ry second class matter in mail cars
from New York to st. Louis. BY
freight the same service can be OBJ
tanned, except for one or two days
decay. at p cent pound. Accord
ing to r. r. Billings. clerk in charge
of the railway mail service in st.
Louis, who has been conducting the
recent experiments, the change at st.
Louis "'~"o will mean an annual saw
ing of $4,000 to the government.
The experiments thus far have
been conducted under what is known
as the blue tag system. BY this
arrangement certain mail--in this
case mainly eastern monthly publ
catons-has been shipped in regular
mail cars marked with >blue tags.
This mail is not worked" until it
reaches one of the six distributing
points. or another point further on
to which it is sent direct. Last Mon
day $4,000 pounds of this ''blue
tag mail came through the St Louis
annex station. OF this, 80. 900 pounds
was worked in about twelve hours
by thirty men, the remainder being
sent on TO other points. Under the
present scheme 8 Louis is to be the
distributing point for Missouri, Ar
kansas, Texas and Oklahoma,
Plan is Hitchcock's i5
The plan of using freight cars for
the Transmission of some of the bulky
second-class mail was devised by
Postmaster General Hitchcock. 1t
has been the custom of the post Of
flee department for many years to
use certain mail cars for through
service, not working" the cars un-
til they reach certain destination
1l,a
have raised no objection to Mr..
Hitcheock's plan, as they have no
particular object in rushing their pc
riodicals to delivery. in as much as
the magazines are published ahead
of time Simultaneous distribution
all over the country, however. is de-
sired.
A great advantage of the shipment
of bulky mail to central point for
working is that the men can work to
much better advantage In stationary
buildings than on a moving train.
The mail freight cars. it is under
stood, will be given preference by the
railroads over ordinary freight cars.
in the same way that fruit and beef
trains have been getting preference.
For this special service the govern
ment would be willing to pay extra,
The present move on the part of the
post Office is understood to be u
step toward the Installation of the
parcels post.
since February % tn post office
has been weighing all this mail. tt
being the weighing season. The rail-
roads will be paid for the next four
years on the basis established. The
Weighing season will continue until
June 10,