The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-11-28
RAILWAY MAIL MEN RELIEVE
PosToFFTCE AND "RATERs" AS
SYST XMAS MAILERs.

The Richmond postoffice is ready for
the Christmas rush. and postmaster
| Edgar Tllan declares there viii be no
disappointments this year by either
! those who send or receive Christmas
packages through the mail, IL the peo-
pie of Richmond will only cooperate
I with the local postofflce. He suggests
several ways in which the public can
/ aid the postofflce department and
/ points out how they are made easy by
the postofilce department in its estab-
/ lishment of the parcel post system OF
( railway postoffce terminals and its al
/ lowsnce Of a much wider latitude to
senders of PACKAGES
Stamps can be bought now. In
( surance and G, O. u. tags can be
/ bought now. Both should be bought
now. or as early as possible, Mr.. Allen
/ advises, II the people wish to facili-
| tate Christmas mailing and Christmas
delivery.
Cards received from the department
and posted in the lobby in several
conspicuous places urge that Christmas
packages be mailed early and give
the information that messages similar
to Not to be opened until Christmas"
may be written on the outside of the
packages where IL Is desired.
Terminal Aid 80 Office.
The terminal railway postofice be-
came established in it's quarters in the
basement Of the postofiice building
yesterday and for the first time since
its opening, ten days ago, took over
the working" Of all parcel post mail
from the Richmond postofice. Only tho
forty or more other terminals through
out the country had been worked pre-
vious to yesterday.
The terminal yesterday handled
more than $50 sacks Of parcel post
mail, working them up for the other
terminals and routing them to all post
Offices in Eastern Virginia and North
Carolina. On the first day of opera
ton of the terminal Richmond post
Office, eighteen sacks were handled
with the terminal In operation, par
eel post Will be received at the post
Office here to be dumped direct into
the terminal room below. where 1t Ia
handled and routed by clerks in the
railway mail service, all Of whom have
been taken from trains where they
have had actual experience, to all
points in the two States and in other
states direct TO terminals whore they
viii be worked out
Though the terminal Richmond post
ONCE did not yet into its quarters for
more than a week after it had ex-
pect to. Chief Clerk ELAN is pleased
ny the smoothness with which every
thing Is now working, and he pre-
diets that the Christmas rush viii pre-
sent no unusual problem this year. (
on the contrary he expresses him
self as believing the new branch of the
service here viii greatly expedite the /
Christmas business and viii insure +
livery at destination.
To Have "Raters' In Lobby.
That the terminal is in operation
pleases the postofflce force. straight
through from Postmaster Alan to tho
newest substitute The fact Che office
is relieved from tt1t work m a4.--y n
parcels out of Richmond assures the
local office of having plenty Of ex-
perienced help in the receiving and
handling Of all mail matter during the
holiday season.
1t is planned TO have "raters." men
who are familiar with the zones and
rates of the parcel post service.
posted in the lobby al various points
IN order to relieve possible congestion
at the windows
Christmas mailing will he easv this
year is suggestions given by MIR Allan
are considered by patrons OF the
Richmond office A person having
one or more packages to go to one or
to several points, who has previously .
secured stamps and insurance tags .
enters the postotlice lobby Instead
OF standing in line. waiting Cor stamps
and to have packages weighed, the
person goes to the nearest 'rater." I
The packages are weighed bv him and .
the amount Of postage required is
marked on their wrappers The /
sender affiXcs stamps, previously pur-
chased, and insurance ia gif he de- /
sires 1t to be insured, presents them az
the mailing window and gets out Of /
the office. This is done in one-h half +.
the time formerly required.
Can Insure Packages.
Senders Of insured or c. O, d. par
cells should obtain in advance the /
of tags which they will need