Evening star., 1915-01-24


planning the character or
the wori Of automobiles in
the postal service. says that they are
used in the service in several ways
namely: For what is known as screen
wagon service" for parcel post delivery
service, for delivery and collection serv-
Ice in cities and for rural delivery
service.
Screen wagon service" says Mr..
Haycock. lis that used in hauling mails
between railroad stations ard post Of
fees and letwcea post off, eS and post
Office stations. This service receives its
name by reason of the t! 1e OF wagons
used. they being always screened with
heavy wire to protect the rails while
IN transit. and. rule, involves
heavy hauling and the use of strongly
built wagons or motor vehicles. with
carrying capacity o. :"om LOO TO
5000 povnds. The re0-:.rsrents are for
heavy tonnage and mileage. rather than
speed. and ,,s there are usually but few
stops and starts involved motor We
hicles can be used very advantageously
and re gradually becoming more gen.
orally utilized.
THE parcel post service consists in the
delivery uf parcel post packages to resi-
uentFS Hlt! ptti'cS or business 'ceS not
differ very greatly from the delivery Serv-
ice of department stores or that OF trans
portatiou co'"pa'. eS engaged in par
eel delivery business. This service is
performed either uy wagons or auto
mobiles. with a driver or chauffeur. ac-
compaHled by carrier. who makes de-
Ivcries. the automobiles generally hav-
ing a capacity OF about 900 to 1900
pounds. Automobiles are. perhaps, be-
ing used more extensively in this
service than any other branch of the
postal service.
In speaking of the suburban delivery
system Supt. Haycock says:
Occasionally we find an enterprising
carrier who prefers a machine to a
horse. and who is willing to assume
the extra expense for his own con-
Venience.
Carriers Using Vehicles.
"A few of the rural carriers. where
the routes are located in districts with
good roads. are using motor vehicles.
SO they can complete their deliveries
more quickly and return to the office
earlier. and use for their own purposes
the time thus saved. Undoubtedly. a
good. stout little machine that can be
easily operated and maintained at a
minimum expense could be used to ad-
vantage in the delivery of mail in the
suburban and rural districts.
The collection service in cites con-
sists of the collection of mail by letter
carriers from street letter and pack
age boxes and mail chutes in large
buildings. Automobiles are used in
this service in two ways-by carriers
as they make their collections from the
individual boxes, and who bring the
mail to the post office each trip, and by
what might be termed trunk routes,
which Involves the sending of automo-
bttes to collect mails from stations and
from boxes in which collections have
been placed by foot collectors. who de-
posit the mail in the stations or boxes
instead of bringing it to the post Office
each trip. Up to this time, the Depart
ment has not experienced much succe ss
tnrough the use of automobiles in
making collections from individual let
ter boxes. owing to the fact that as
the stops are so close together and SO |
numerous II results in great wear and |
tear on the machines. and very few
machines have been found able to stand |
the strain that such service subjects |
them TO.
"A large part of the expense involved |
In collection service from individual
boxes by automobiles is due to the fact |
that 1t is necessary for a chauffeur to |
operate the machine, and for a carrier
to make the collections. requiring the
services of two men. l am not pre-
pared to say that this character of |
service cannot be performed satisfac-
torily by automobiles, but up 10 TINS !
time il has not been demonstrated that
II can be done in this city. 1t may be ,
that there is a wide field in this par
ticular kind of service for the use of
electric vehicles. If those who are in
terested in electric motor vehicles can
devise a light machine, easy of opera
tion and durable. which can make stops
and starts quickly, and be operated by
our carriers, thereby eliminating the
expense OF a chauffeur. they will have
helped solve th. problem for the de-
partment. and there is hardly any doubt +.
but that such machines would be placed
in general use throughout the postal
service.
Autos in Collection Service
Automobiles are being very sue
cessfully used in the collection service
for bringing to the post office mails
collected and deposited by carriers in
stations or deposit boxes located re-
mote from the Office. thereby saving the
time of carriers and mounts that would
be consumed in travelling 10 the office
and back to the routes We have a
splendid service of this character in
operation in this city.
Until 1872 all wagon or autopobl 9