Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-12-26

the business of the Office on January I.
Postmaster Mansfield sent circulars to
the dry goods houses and concerns that
nave occasions to ship thousands of small
parcels by express daily asking them for
estimates of the number of packages they
would mail. In the answers Mr.. Mans
field hoped to find a basis for the organi-
zation and the distribution of his force
on Now Years day.
CAN UNCLE SAM COMPETE?
But the merchants to whom he applied
for Information could give him little
help. They responded with a multitude
Of questions as to the time the postoifice
department would take to deliver pack
ages to hundreds of named points, and
the consensus of opinion was that retail
dealers. at least. could not determine how
useful the parcels post would be to them
until they knew how promptly the bun
dies would be forwarded to customers.
Many of the retail merchants said that
women shoppers living in the city and
In the suburbs expected deliveries on the
day tho purchases are made. Articles
bought even in mid-afternoon must reach
the patron that evening. For such n serv-
ice the retail merchant had his own de-
livery wagons, and in addition the drivers
.' ". SP'o'' ''n'-
Gould the Boston postmaster promise
equal efficiency If the merchants CON
signed the parcels to the mails?
Naturally tho postmaster could not
mnko dnGnit, nrouteos ,o, I,o,t,u
whether he had to bondIo no ,ocl,oos
or leo. coo the first dav and mn, bo,ry in.
formed of the stations 70 which tho
greatest volume of traffic was Tn no
directed. All he could do was 70 answer
that he hoped to urovide as good , sorry.
lce as the express compauios. and ia
furnish ample facilities as quickly as
he ascertalncd what were REQUIRED for
Efficiency.
In the holiday season the postofIce de-
partmcnt docs "A parcels post business.
At this time the clerks and carriers are
handling AN immense amount Of pack
ages within the present fourth-class
weight limit.
= Fourth-class matter is now delivered
by carrier. but i'm the holiday season the
burden becomes so great that wagons are
used to hclp out the carrier. In handling
: he parcels post IT IS not intended to make
pack horses of the letter carriers, and the
great bulk of the delivery will be by
awgon and auto truck.
MANY St-psrtTr.TE ERKs
ro' s'INiccs pot"eeh tue s'ttlohs III
I, 'he BOSTON pos'a' uis'rlct screen wagons
are used ana ON January ] the contractor
VIII " ic'"'icu 10 'ur'is" aS many
S'''eH wagons as are neeued lot the
ior"aruihS oi paice's from one postal
Stdtioh 10 anothtr ana from the various
't''i'"S |" thc "eSti'itlohs Oh the pack
ages. fNerN postal STATION VIII be sup
plied with AT least one wagon for hand
IlhE the parcel mall ana additional
wagons Will be tufhlshed according TO
the deihaius oil the trafilc.
MI Mahsileld mas provided two auto
trucks Tor the quick transportation OF
the "aoS oi parcels between the stations
III ire oitE' between the central office,
r-SSV" street. the BACK BAY, FcnWay,
iioNpufE crossing Hanover street and
'ne Nortn ana south stations. His pur-
I'S' Is l" Keep thes" trucks busy clear
'l5 OUT III" accumulation IN all OF the
DIE stations
larceIs destined for the Back Bay and
hidlied III the city proper Will be taken
10 the BACK bay or Fenway postofficcs
ID! auto truck, ana from those stations
"o'iNereo pN wagons. me auto truck will
transport all parcels mailed in those sta
tlohs' 1or example FOR delivery through
I'll n "a St1fInnG ar IN no t-a y1Al -,