The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-01-04
KIDDO'S CLOTHES
!. BY PARCELS POST
Petersburg Mother Solves Fress-
ing Problem by Recourse TO
New Mail Service.
SOME BONEHEA0
Two Local Dealers Come 10 G1ei
When They Fail to Observe
Stamp Regulations.

The now parcels post came 10 the a.
sistanco of a Petersburg mother yes-
terday and saved her baby from spend
Ing a Richmond vacation shy on
clothes. POST office officials related IN"
story with keen appreciation Of b3ny .
Might but declined 70 divulge namcs-
Mother and baby arrived on the IN
terurban car Yesterday morning Tor u
visit IA Richmond. An inventory OF
the baggage after arrival revealed tho
fact thai Isby's wardrobe was minus
a number OF important garments "nich
had been left behind. Tho number
and character Of the derelict Vestinents
are not essential 20 the story
II was necessary that tho clothes FOL
low at once. and il was impracucaDie
to send them by messsnec or or express
long distance telephone message 10
relatives. with instructions 70 ror"ard
AT once by parcels post brought kiod" ;
clothes before nightfall Mother" ~,
herewith take notice that complete
wardrobe for baby can be sont " par
cells post for few cents
Service Big success
II the traffic OF the Richmond post
ONCE may be taken at a criterion. the
parcels post Is a huge success. In the
three days during which the service
has been in operation the local post
Office has handled upwards Of 1000
packages. An accurate record OF pack
ages received and dispatched Is being
kept by the central office under In
structions from the department IN
Washington. Reports from the two
letter stations and from the post-ot-
fee in South Richmond indicate that
the service IS popular.
At the central office at o'clock yes
tsrday afternoon. the parcels post wait
ing line stretched half way from the
receiving window to the eastern exit
Early in the day Acting Postmaster
Southwark opened an additional win
dow TO take care OF the augmented
business. Unless an unexpected dimin-
ution in traffic takes place. the extra
window VIII remain open permanently.
Irwin r. Anderson was appointed 20
service at the new window. Increasing
the parcels post force TO four
VIII Recommend Extension.
Acting Postmaster Southwark said
yesterday that he VIII recommend 10
the department that u extend the par
cells post servi,t 20 mum Oer OF sub
stations In the city. These Will be
distributed over the city TO give Il
convenient service TO a. many outlying
sections as possible.
Considerable complaint reached the
central office yesterday from patrons
in the residential sections who COM
planned that II was a hardship 10 bring
packages TO the downtown office There
was a general demand FOR the extension
OF the service to conveniently situat-
ed substa,lGns. At present. parcels
post packages can be mailed only a.
the central Office. at both letter stations
and at the Office In South Richmond.
No recommendations for extension
OF the service can be made before
January 10 when the local Office Will
forward 10 the department IN Wash
ington the data covering parcels post
operations for Richmond. Concessions
along this line viii hinge upon the
volume OF business in this city and the
expense with which il Is transacted. IS
compared with other cities Of like
size. AIr. Southwark thought it prob
able. however. that petitions for eX-
tending the service in this city viii
be granted
Some Boncbead Plays.
The first three days Of the parcels
post service puts the q. Il taS on the
assertion OF prominent North Caro-
lima educator that the human mind
possesses an Infinite capacity for re-
sisting the inrosds Of knowledge
Laymen. who are eXcusable, and bus
mess firms that ought TO know better
have We'd with one another in break
ing the parcels post rules
Despite the widely published ruling
that no package will he received which
does not bear distinctive parcels post
stamps, prominent seed firm report
es at the post-oftice yesterday wi.n
two wagon IcDss OF packages bearing
ordinary stamps And the worst % Il
was that it took post-ofice officials a
nslf-hour TO convince the shippers that
Uncle sam could make no exception In
their case. and that the packages could
not be forwarded until the rules were
complied with.
Another shipper sent over several
hundred parcels weighing under four
ounces each. Under the impression
that ordinary stamps were good for
packages within the fOur-ounce limit
he had used them. lie was referred
TO the rule which provides that par
cells post stamps Must be used for all
fo1rth-class matter. The usual scene
followed. ending with humble com
pliancc with the regulations.