The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1912-11-15

they could be situated IN diagonal cor.
ners some eighty miles apart, while the
next higher rate would have to apply
between an office near the boundary of
one Of these units and an Office Just
across the line in another unit, though
this distance might be only FIVE miles.
Zone Plan dopted.
"lt remained for j. II. Robinson, an
employe of the bureau of tho fourth as.
sistant postmaster general, to solve this
difficulty. He divided each of these
degree quadrangles into four parts or
units, each Of one.half degree or thirty
minutes length and width and adj
vanced the plan of permitting every
postoffce in any one of these units to
send parcels mail at the same rate to
send parcels mail at the same
rate to all the other postoilices
in its own unit and in all the other
eight units Immediately surrounding it.
These nine units form quadrangle of
one and one.half degrees of longitude
east and west and one and one.half dc.
grees of latitude north and south, which
becomes the first zone, having an aver.
age width in the States of eighty-one
miles and length of one hundred and
four miles, an area having a mean rad.
ial distance of approximately fifty
miles. This unit system did away with
the most important objection to the
passage of the bill and it had easier
sailing from that time on.
The postoflice department has been
busy since the passage of the hill pre-.
pairing maps or charts of the entire
United States showing these units or
half-degree quadrangles, of which there
are about $500: each of these units
have been given an index number, and
all postofiices located in any one unit
| will have the same number and the
same zone arrangement. Concentric cir.
cles will he drawn on these maps of $50,
500. 600. 1000, 400 and 1900 miles
radii, using the center of each unit rs
the center of the circles. these circles
describing the second, third, fourth
fifth, sixth and seventh zones respec.
lively, the eighth zone being all be
yond the 1900 mile circle. Thus, you
will see. there will be some 3500 maps
Of the United States, each the same rs
far as the squares of their numbering
are concerned, but different as to tn,
location of the zone circles. Each post
Office will require but one particular
map of the series, that map being on,
in which the center of its unit has beer
used in describing the zone circles
All postoflices in any one unit-in tn,
more settled areas of the Fast Their,
may be perhaps fifty located in one
unit-will use identical maps for thei
zones, are identical.
Directories are being published, Civ
ing the States in their alphabetical or
der and under each State the names o
all postoffices therein, with their indie.
numbers-that is to say, after eacI
postofiice will appear the number of tn
unit or quadrangle in which it is 10
Gated These directories will be iden
teal in every office. :.
Special Stamps.
''The last mail brought copy of
very recent bulletin of the postoffic
: department stating that these stamp
I and directories are nearing completion
.ffit also contained ruling of the pos
, master general that all fourth class ma
! ter mailed after the inauguration of tn
? parcels post must bear distinctly
. stamps, and that all such matter MALE
9 with the usual letter stamps affixe
I would be considered as held for postaf
and would not be forwarded to dest
g nation. :.
. What the Rates Will Be.
q "For the benefit of the merchan
and others who are getting package
at present from San Francisco and Ne
York by express, / present a compar
. tive table of the parcels post rates fro
= these points to Honolulu they are Il
s same from both places, as both are mo-
G than eighteen hundred miles distant)
s and the present express rates:
IS