Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-14
BETV1EE71 lAuslN0E Of TAE M Parcel. Posr TERMINALS

took up the distribution of ordinary mail
at the office of origin, making use of the
time that mails We're awaiting dispatc
by taking the mail from the post officr
into the terminal as soon as the primary
or simple, separations were made in tn.
post office. All of the time. which was
dead time prior to the inauguration o.
the terminal system, is now emr loyed in
distribution in quarters, which cost the
department approximately S1.4O pc
square foot instead of being distributed
In railway post office cars, costing from.
$12 to SIS square foot.
I'm addition to the great saving O.
space the train and the attendant
cost, this method has prevented the con
gestion of mails on the trains to sucl
an extent that the railway mail service
is enabled to finish the distribution before
arrival at the several terminals. This
has never been accomplished before in
the history of the service during the
Christmas season, and the great value
of the new met7od was demonstrated
early after the Inauguration of the terrni-
nails.
September 80 the railway mail service
was handling approximately Per cent
more mail than was handled at the
Christmas holiday period of 1912. This
has gradually increased until 1t is now
estimated that the mails are 80 per cent
heavier than they were last Christmas.
Ills 1HElSIHldS tIe distribution OF or
binary mails in the terminals also will
be along entirely new lines. Mails are
there separated into directs" (or by in
dividual post Offices rather than by
routes. Formerly all mails were distrib-
uted to the different railway post Office
lines, the direct bags being made ONLY
for the very largest offices. Under the
present system all mails are distributed t.
directs" the first. second and third elias.
offices constituting the list of direct"
bags.
by this method inexperienced clerks
are used TO very good advantage. there
being no actual knowledge of distrihu-
tion required of them. AS soon as they
learn the location of the bags in TIE
racks, or the boxes in the latter cases
. .s are iairiy proficient in the dstribu-
uon; A little over 10 per cent of the
total volume of mall is made up ..direct'i
10 ohces under this plan, the remaining
- per cent being routed to the lines in
accordance with the practices that have
service 1'0''
To guard against the congestion
which always attended Christmas mail
tfamc, all sorts OF precautions are being
taken. The object being to keen mail
moving, the fifteen superintendent of
the railway mail service made weekly
reports TO the department in Washinp
tion regarding conditions on the sew
eral lines under their Jurisdiction WITH
the view of having new distributjon
taken up to prevent congestion. The
system or distribution of the marcel
post mail keeps it out of the railway
post office cars. where it would he
liable to damage on account of tia
congested conditions.
X
Large Christmas packages. sent by
parcel post, are further guarded
against damage by the fact that they
are packed in the sacks by hand
In all of the terminals are provided
bins or shelving, and from these hin.
or off the shelves the packages are
taken by hand and placed in the bags.
so that the full surface of each mack
age mas bearing aginst its neighbor-
ing package. Since these extra pre-
cautions have been taken there have
been very few complaints of damage
In arranging for the final delivery of
parcel post mail, local trains are Sc
lected, and only stop trains are used
Generaliy speaking. there are two
trains on every route each dav which
deliver parcel post mail to the inter-
mediate .ofiices, which fact no doubt
was a strong and appealing argument
to Santa Claus.
The Christmas rush. of course. will
make, II necessary to employ addi-
t'oiioi hNip III inc inherent terminal
railway post Offices. The Number ~
clerks employed in the crew or SHIFT
depends upon the amount of mail avail
able for distribution. In the smallest
terminals but two or three men are
employed on each shift of eight hours
while in the largest terminal in the
country over 500 clerks are employed
these being divided into three shifts Of
eight hours each The largest shift of
course. is employed when the recent
of the parcel post mail is the heaviest
The heavy volume commences to pour
in about pm. and from them until
l. O'Clock midnight the largest force is
employed.
Each terminal railway post Office il
conducted the same as a railway post
office car. having regular crews with
clerk in charge OF each and making
a trip report, which is a complete his
tory OF the work performed BY the