The San Francisco call and post., 1913-12-15

T AY FORMA|N
POSTOFF|CE
At FERRY

Ssh Em I ea1
Two revolutionary changes in the
United States mail service were fore
shadowed today. Postmaster Fay de-
clared the federal building inadequate
and announced that he would transfer
the postoffice to the ferry just as soon
as he received permission from Wash
ington
At the same time he received orders
raising the parcel post weight limit
from 25 to SO pounds. This means
that Uncle Sam is going into the ex-
press business
If Fay has his way the Ferry build
ing win become the central postofice,
in practice IL not in name He finds
that the big tpostofiice building at
Seventh and Mission streets is poorly
situated for the prompt and efficient
conduct of the city's postal business
1t is not, in his opinion, the CONNER
cial center of San Francisco, and a
great deal of valuable time is lost in
the transmission of mail and parcels
~ anu IL Jill lis Jul VA lllt Wdy 1Otd-
ton.
This marks an epoch in the parcel
post development and is equivalent
TO the government entering into the
express business" said Fay I'VE
will now be in position to transport
large. bulky articles at rates cheaper
than the express companies"
A new order from the government
also includes books in the articles
which may be sent by parcel post.
Heretofore they have been classified
as third class matter. but after jan
uary may be sent at the far cheaper
parcel rate.
At the request of hat dealers in this
city Postmaster Fay has issued orders
which will allow hats to be shipped
by Parcel post in pasteboard boxes,
without being Grated If the parcel is
insured, however, the hat must be
protected by a crate or double CORFU
gated cardboard box.
Regarding the change TO the ferry,
Fay said:
LOGICAL PLACE AT FERRY
The logical place for San Fran
cisco's postofiice is the ferry Our
postoffice here IS out OF the path of
business. 1t is not convenient TO the
merchants / receive many complaints
and examples of the time lost. 1t is
my intention to rent enough space in
the Ferry building to handle the bulk
of the business
Fay gave several examples of the
waste of time under the present sys-
tenn.
For instance" he said, "a steamer
comes into port from foreign parts.
1t is first delayed while the quaran-
tine and immigration officers are
aboard. After an hour or more 1t
proceeds down the bay to dock. The
tide may not be favorable for an i'm
mediate landing and there are more
delays When it finally ties up to the
wharf a shipment of perishabIe goods
is Immediately unloaded
The merchant goes to get the con-
signment and finds that his invoices
are in the mail. which has been taken
up to the main postofflce. 1t must
pass through the usual routine here
and is then sent back to him. Deliv-
cry of the invoices has been DELAYED
hours since the ship entered port
This is an actual and frequent occur
renee.
QUICK WORK By FERRY PLAN
by my plan we would take the
mail off the ship Immediately, dis
tribute it at the Ferry building and
have the invoices in the merchants
hands as quickly as the goods At
least so per cent of outgoing mail
goes by way of the Ferry building
The water front is the right place to
handle it.
"All mail coming by sea should be
received and assorted for distribution
at the ferry. Often advices from for
eign countries to a local merchant
must reach his hands at once in order
that he can get goods off on the next
steamer. A delay of few hours
means a great loss in such ca ses."
Fay also has a practical plan for
distributing mail at the nearest
branch postoffice
Under the present system, he ex-
planned, "a man at Drumm and Jack
son streets. for instance. mails a let
ter to a business friend two blocks
away. Instead Of being carried to the
nearest postoffice and there sept out
Immediately to the nearby address 1t
is carried to Seventh and Mission.
distributed and sent all the way back
to the man who was only two blocks
away Recently a merchant mailed a
special delivery letter at the ferry at
SIS o'clock in the morning. 1t was
1870 before that letter reached its
destination three blocks off,