Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-19
MEETS TO DISCUSS
POSTAL PROBLEMS
National Association of Post
masters to Open Convention
Here Tomorrow.
HEADS OF ORGANIZATION
CONFERRING ON DETAIL S
Delegates to Be Received at White
House by President Wilson
Tomorrow Afternoon.

Many of the problems that affect the
public in it's relation to the post offices
and mail service all over the country
will be threshed out in Washington to-
morrow, at a gathering of postmasters
from all over the United States for the
annual convention of the National AS
ISOLATION of Postmasters Of the first
and second class at the Raleigh Hotel.
The postmasters and many other city
postal officials gathered at the Raleigh
| today, and by nightfall, it is expected.
there will be more than 1000 of them
/ in the capital to attend the convention.
All day long conferences have been
| held at the Raleigh by the officers of
the organization for the purpose of
perfecting the program of the conven-
| ton.
Some of the officers who are here said
today that one OF the principal problems
to come before the convention Will be
that of motor transportation. This sub
ject will come up in connection with the
parcel post problems and in connection
with rural tree delivery. Many OF the
postmasters are dissatisfied with the re-
suits they are able to achieve in con-
nection with the delivery of parcel post
packages by using horse-drawn vehicles.
Rural Free Delivery Service.
AS to rural free delivery. it is said
| that the maximum length Of route is
now twenty-six miles by horse and
horse-drawn vehicles, and that if auto
mobiles or motor cycles could be used
the machines could cover two routes,
amounting to almost sixty miles. and
make better time.
The latter, it is said, is really a good
roads problem, and connected with the
question of parcel post deliveries as
well as rural free delivery there is
question of finance, for. to carry out
the motor ideals of some of the post
masters, Congress would be obliged to
appropriate more funds than heretofore
have been appropriated.
Arrangements for the big convention
are being perfected today by COM
Carter b. Keene. director Of postal
savings; Merritt o. Chance. Washing
ton city postmaster, and John Kuhn,
chief inspector OF the Washington
office. Among the officers of the ma
tional Organization who have SO far ar
rived in washington for the convention
are: John j. Cleary, president; Eugene
S. Shannon, secretary, and r. Z. sites,
treasurer. Mr.. Cleary is postmaster at
Terre Haute, Ind; Mr.. Shannon is post
master at Nashville, Tenn, and Mr..
Sites is postmaster at Harrisburg, Pa.
President to Receive Delegates.
President Wilson is to receive the
delegates to the convention at the
White House tomorrow afternoon at 2
o'clock Commissioner Newman will
deliver an address of welcome to the
delegates tomorrow morning. There
will be banquet for the men in the
party at the Raleigh Thursday evening
and theater party and luncheon for
the women in the party the same day.
Friday an exhibition drill will be given
for the visitors by the Fort Myer
troops.
All the sessions of the. convention,
be held in the ballroom of the Ra-
leigh with the exception of Thursdays
events, which will be held in the new
National Museum building.
Thursday afternoon the officials of
the Post Office Department are to meet
with the visiting postal officials and
will answer questions which will have
been previously placed in a question
box at headquarters in the Raleigh. By
this means it is hoped that many diff
cult problems will be thrashed out. to
the better joint understanding of
Washington officials and the visitors.
Total of 81, 900 Eligibles.
There are more than $1,000 postal
officials eligible to join the national as
ISOLATION, and officials of the organize
ton have been in correspondence with
them for some time to induce many
of them as possible to come to the con-
vention.
Last year the association met at St.
Paul, and at that time there was some
question in the minds of some of the
Washington Post Office Department Of
fetal whether such organizations. are
really benefit to the service, in view
of the fact that so many organizations
are for the purpose of boosting" sal
ahies, and attempting to influence leg
islation. In July many members of the
organization made visit to Wash
ington to get d better understanding
with department officials, and to try, IL
possible, to form all the postal organi-
cations into one. The result of that
work proba bly, will be developed at the
convention beginning tomorrow.
1t is said that the present conven-
ton Is probably the most important
that has been held since the demo-
cratic administration came into power
Last year some of the postmasters had
been in Office only few months. and as
the republicans who were leaving Of
fee did not show a great interest in re-
naming in the organization or in its
work. it was and is felt that not as
much could be accomplished as can be
done this year.
The convention this year, in fact, is
the first in which the men now actual
ly in charge of handling the mail for
the public of the United States have
participated. The organization has for
it's object only the promotion of the
efficiency of the service and the ex-
changing of ideas among postmasters
and postal officials.
Addresses will be delivered at the
convention by many prominent per-
sons One unusual feature will be an
address by Senator Phelan by long-dis-
lance telephone from San Francisco to
the diners at the banquet Thursday
|evening. Each person at the dinner will
falenhnnR recaiVar and hen