Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-04-06

mend to the department the estab-
lishment OF contract stations, where
all stamp supplies may be purchased.
money orders bought. and letters and
packages registered.
Il feel that the public has respond
ed to the accommodations extended
them, and this response is shown by
the unusual growth of business at the
Atlanta postoff1ce.
After several attempts, it became
possible to establish a branch office
at Kirkwood. This establishment
could not at first be authorized by the
department. owing to the fact that
the population OF Kirkwood had not
reached the requirements OF the post
al laws and regulations covering the
establishment OF branch pOstofdces in
an adjoining municipality"
When asked about complaints re-
ceived from the public and business
houses. Postmaster Mckee said that
the number of complaints had fallen
of to a small percentage Of what
| they were during the first year OF his
administration.
a careful dllalsSlS u AHC NOAlA-
plants submitted will show, too, that
fully three fourths of them were due
| to some miscOnception on the part Of
the complainant or through some ir-
regularity which the local office had
no power to prevent" said Mr.. Nc
Kee.
How to Get a Penny Post.
"a great deal has been said about a
penny post This feature Of the
service could, l am satisfied, be inau-
gurated OF once If it were made to
apply to only such letters as were
addressed specifically to street and
number box number or general de-
livery. As soon as the general public
found that they had to pay cents
on a letter addressed simply Atlanta
Ca whereas If the street address
were given they could send it for l
cent the amount OF mail which is
really insuflciently addressed would
be negligible"
In talking Of the general delivery
division, the Postmaster invited at
tention to the efforts that have been
made nj the Atlanta office, and other
large offices throughout the country,
to put a stop to so much clandestine
correspondence between minors.
The postal laws and regulations
give parent The right to control the
mail of minor children; and when the
superintendent OF the general deliv-
cry division has his suspicious
aroused by the regular calling Of a
minor-especially one Of the gentler
seX-he requires certain information
TO be filled out on q card form, with
a knowledge Of which the parent is
promptly furnished The steps taken
in this direction have gone long
way to break up the practice Of young
people in making the po0tutiice rem
devious.
There is a disposition on the part
of sales agents 10 rent a box at the
Atlanta postoffice, so as to give their
correspondents the idea that they ara
located in this city, whereas they are
really located in some suburban town,
The department diScourages this PAL
l,pably fraudulent practice by refusing
TO rent boxes TO non-residents.
You will note" continued Mr..
Mckee, that there are four stamp
windows now open to the public. Two
answered all the demands when first
took charge; but at certain hours OF
the day it is now necessary that all
four Of them shall be open for bust
ness The hours of service will be
increased from time to time as the
demand OF the public render il nee
essary.
10000 Daily Cancellations.
In my opinion, IL was happy
thought to assign a clerk 10 the lobby
for the purpose of weighing and rat
inR packages This feature Of tie
service was inaugurated during the
first Christmas holiday after the new
pcstoffice quarters were occupied, ana
worked so well that it was adopted
for the greater convenience Of the
public in the dispatch of parcel post
packages
The Postmaster is immensely proud
of an innovation in the main work
room, whereby the sorting of the mail
is greatly facilitated and much more
rapidly effected than under the sys-
tenn he found in vogue when he as
sumed charge Of the Office. This is
a specially designed table, from which
eight clerks stand abreast and rap
idly send the mail by means Of
moving belt to the Cancellins ma
chine.
The superintendent Of mails" said
Mr. McKes estimates that eight
men with this pickup table can do
more and better work than sixteen
men could 90 under the old practice
of hand faCing ana carving 70 The
canCelling machine. l think this es-
innate a conservative one, which :
borne out BY the fact tHsc. our aver
age daily cancellations are about
10000, whereas along the 1:-it 81
the month We cancel sometimes 80
high as 26O000 letters ana postal
CARDS.
This is feacura Of the service. /
too. that has 20 receive the closest
attention and supervision 10 tae end
that the mail be handled IN the exact
sequence in which Il is posted at the
drops or is brought in by collectors.
The collectors satchels. arranged ia
orderly and systematic manner, are
dumped on the table in The exact Or
der IN which they are brought to the
postofice. ! assure you that these
details constantly are given tGe
closest attention.
1T has been my policy always,
concluded the POstma ster. to inVss- i
rigata the merits Of every complaint: 7
and after a careful investigatj /
make courteous reply thereto En-
ployees VIII. Of course. make some /
errors. and the department provides
/. penalty fOr each and every telin-