The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1914-06-10
STRENUOUS TINES
FOR EMPLOYEES
Postoffice Help Over the Country Be-.
ing Worked to Capacity-Must
Weigh Every Package.
DENlsoN OFFICE FILES REPORT
Count of Packages From April list to
18th Showed 588 Packages Orig
mated Here, 1906 Received.

These are strenuous times for the
post Office employees OF the country.
Not only has the great increase OF
business come upon them from the
parcel post system, but the govern
ment has been insistent on full par
ticulars as to the weight of the pack
age, distance carried and postage re-
ceived. AS far as the mass of the Of
fees are concerned there has been no
extra pay or additional help.
With April first there was a count
asked as to every package which was
sent out of the Denison office; it's
weight, distance carried and postage
collected, and this must be shown on
a sheet larger than the size OF news
paper. This count was for two weeks
and also included the number of pack
ages received to be distributed to per-
sons here. These latter figures must
also show how many were delivered
by rural carriers, city carriers, through
the general delivery and by special
messenger with horse and wagon.
The above mentioned report was
Just made out and forwarded and the
postmaster and his assistants about
to give sigh of relief when special
committee of congress-, with Senator
Bristow as chairman, sent out circu-
lars asking for a still more sweeping
and complicated count to be made for
six weeks. Some postmasters wrote
to the head officials at Washington,
asking if there was to be any addition
al allowance for clerk hire in the max
ing up of the Bristow report. A reply
came that while congress was to be
assisted in every way to study the par
Gel post problem, that no additional
clerk hire could be allowed and the
making of the report was not compul-
sorry If it could not be done with the
help now on the rolls. Some post
masters thereupon decided not to
make the report to the congressional
committee. Postmaster Wright and
his. boys, however, promptly buckled
down to the work and made careful
for the full six weeks. AS
many may be curious to know the re-
suits we have gained the following as
to the parcel post system at the Den
ison office:
The count from April LIST to 18th
showed that 5SS packages originated
here and 1906 came in to be delivered.
The postage collected on packages
going out was $36.S3. Of the over 1900
one-third were delivered on the backs
of the three city carriers and nearly
as many by the rural carriers.
The Senator Bristow count showed
that in the six weeks, 1850 packages
came to the office for delivery and
/ ,72O went out. This was an average
Of $50 week and 141 per day. The
total number of packages handled was
5, 100. or those arriving, the most
came from the second zone, which in
cludes Omaha, Council Bluffs, Sioux
City, Des Moines, Fort Dodge and ter
ritory within $50 miles from here.
The next largest zone proved the
fourth. which includes Chicago. st.
Louis, Cleveland, all of Michigan and
Denver. The patrons of the parcel
post are not alone the farmers and
townspeople, but the merchants re
ceive a very large number of pack
ages. The third largest zone was the
sixth, which has in it New York, Phil
adelphia and all New England states.
The rural carriers are still strug-
Cling with count which has been
going on for nearly two months. They
have this to cheer them, however, that
with July LIST they will receive full
one hundred dollars month for their
work.
The six weeks count was made by
Postmaster Alfred Wright, assisted
by Mr.. Chas. X. Meyers. and was a
most difficult task for both.