El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-01-21
MORE THAN 5000
PACKAGES HANDLED
Parcels Post Does Lively
Business at El Paso
End Of the Line.

Additional proof that the parcels post
/ is a success locally, is found in the
I report which has been forwarded BY
! c. c. Gibson, superintendent OF mans
for the FL Paso office, giving the
} amount of bsuiness done at the local
office during the first Is days OF Janu-
ary Upon this report is based the es-
Inmates for the fiscal year
The report filed by superintendent
! Gibson shows that grand total Of
I 6229 packages were handled by the par
I cells post in FL PasO, including incom-
/ ing and outgoing parcels. The total
number Of incoming parcels was 49,
/ of which 1888 were delivered and the
! remaining IA being on hand at the
| close of business on January 10 Added
OF this number are three packages
making the grand total OF ali parcels
delivered 1891 The total number OF
outgoing parcels dispatched was 1884,
averaging II ounces, and the amount
of postage paid on dispatched packages
F''''0'' Cost Is Estimated.
An interesting table of figures has
been prepared by the mail superlnten-
dent showing the additional cost OF the
service for the first Is days, for each
package, and an estimate OF the COST
for the current fiscal year. Il Is I'M
possible to arrive at an accurate toIa4
cost per package, as part OF the par
cells post matter is handled by the regu-
lar clerical and carrier force OF the OF
fixed charges. The additional cost per
package on incoming mail is estimated
at IA cents, while the estimated cost
per package for outgoing mail is z1S
cents. The reason for the preater adol-
tionaI cost per package on outgoing
packages is because the WINDOW must
be open for II hours each day and
tended during part OF the day by two
clerks, while the delivery packages can
be punched and handled by the regular
carriers and by the special p. p. car
riers in one or two trips.
The fixed charges are given IN a sec
ton of the report to the first assistant
postmaster general in charge OF city
delivery. The cost for vehicles, includ-
ing an auto for delivery, is given as S22
for the Is days. For auxiliary carriers
clerks, in addition to the regular post
office force. The estimate for the re-
mainder of the current fiscal year IN
cludes $500 for vehicles, $3.50 for aux
Hilary carriers and $500 for auxiliary
clerks.
Locally the parcels post has devel-
oped its share of freak packages Over
due eggs, a can of buttermiIk minus
the milk, tortillas, jerked beef brooms,
mops and golf clubs have been mailed
or received a the local office. Nation
ally the post is being used for every
thing under the sun Stone quarry
owners are mailing blocks of sample
stone through the mails. Poultry, eggs,
and fresh meats are being sent ana IN
one city a mother sends her son his
daily lunch from a neighboring SMALL
town. All of these freak packages have
served a purpose, the postoffice super
intendent says, for they have served to
advertise the parcels post and prove its
economy and efficiency to the average
person who had not been informed be-
fore of the blessing of the system
VIII Be Used BY COttHEers.
Cloudcroft cOttagers next summer
win have their fruit, meats and poultry
shipped from El PasO by parcels post, If
they are unable to obtain what they
wish from the stores in the little
mountain town Of North ClOudcroft.
The local postoffice has figured out
the rate for packages TO CloudcIoft- A
package weighing one pound can be
mailed here for six cents and delivered
in ClcudcrOft the same day during the
summer season For an additional
pound the rate takes another four
cents. and four cents for each addition
al pound up to II, which is the limit
for the parcels post Should card par
ty be planned there, small freezer
of ice cream could be sniODcd TO Cloud
froft in the morning ana arrive in time
to be served after the prizes are dis
tributed.