Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-11-01
THE TROUBLE
ON RURAL MAIL ROUTE
Fourth Assistant P. NJ. General
Comments on Complaints From
01on Hill Neighborhood. .
Says Carriers Are Not Familiar
With Section Served-Bad
Roads Also Mentioned

Complaints OF the mail service on the
Oxon Hill route from Anacostia, or
route B. as II is known to the Post
Office Department. Fourth Assistant
Postmaster General Blakslee said to-
day were due to three causes. namely,
the unfamiliarity of the contractors
with tho route and names and location
OF the residents living on II. the fail
ure to provide themselves with a prop
or route directory and to roads impass-
able to motor or horse-drawn vehicles.
Mr. Blakslee said the matters were
having his personal supervision now
and that before long he hoped to give
the finest kind OF mail service on the
route. except, perhaps, on the river
route. the road of which is not in such
condition as the regulations require
Tor rural delivery service. The latter
is true. also, he said. on portions o.
the route upon which some Of tire
other patrons complaining reside.
Investigation developed he said thai
the rural carrier was delivering from
two to six sacks of mail daily to the
Government Hospital for the Insane,
which. by direction of the superintend-
ent. had to be taken to a certain par
OF the building and handled by the
carrier, thus causing him to loas :
half hour on each delivery. This, rs
Sdiu, IlON Dtcn corrected.
Absence Of Route Chart.
The absence of a route chart at Ana
costa also was a serious defect which
not only caused great loss OF time IA
making the mail separations. but the
ignorance of the new motor drivers as
to the persons living on the route
caused further trouble. This route chart
has been supplied, and the mail "a riers
are daily getting more familiar with IT,
SO that the time expended in mali
separation is daily being lessened and
improper routing of the mail is being
avoided.
II hope, shortly said Mr. Blakslee.
ito have tn ngs in such shape that
the mail carrier will be able to leave
the Anacost'a station as early as 1880
o'clock in the morning and return after
having covered the entire route, at
least by o'clock. This has been taking
from am. to 4 pm. But no relief can
be afforded the patrons who live on the
impossible roads until the roads are
repaired and put in the shape required
by the regulations.
Bids for New Service.
"Bids have been advertised also for
service from Anacostia as far as Leon
ardtown. Nd, a distance of fifty-seven
miles," he said, with connections with
another route covering twenty-seven
miles of territory, the whole to be COW
cred daily. without question. thus open
ing up to Washington for the parcel
post service the produce of producers In
southeastern Maryland, who now have
to communicate with Washington by
way of Baltimore. They will have d.
rect access to Washington, with post
age rate of 80 cents for fifty pounds.
whereas under present conditions they
pay 81 cents. The bids were asked for
two weeks ago.
'It is my purpose" said Mr.. Blakslee,
ito have this territory which is. SO to
speak. directly under my own eyes.
covered with the best possible service
before get through.
One Cause of Delay.
'Of course, at the outset, where the
mail carrier Is unfamiliar with the
route and the names and locations OF
persons. residing along 1t, there will be
some delay. but with proper charts and
the separation in the post Office at
Washington OF the mail for the Govern
ment Hospital for the Insane from that
for the rural routes things will be
quickly adjusted and ii will not be long
before we have a mail service for the
farmer as good as that for the city
resident. for l intend that as much su
pervisory attention shall be given to
the one a to the other