Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-05-07
HOW POSTAL SERVICE
TOUCHES THE PEOPLE
No Other Government Activity A.
fects Their Lives So
Closely.
Washington Office an Example of
Marvellous Progress of the
Past Decade.


more welcome reminder of the cit-
zen's concern in government activity
than the service of the United states
post office. declares Graham Romeyn
Taylor in an article written for the
Survey Of New York
Whether it is the letter carriers
whistle several times a day along the
residence streets of a city. the rattle
of wheels as the rural free delivery
driver approaches an outlying farm.
the swish of a paddle twice a week
along some of the Maine rivers. the
crack of the whip the mail sledge
dog team races into an Alaskan viii
lage or the steamships whistle as she
carries the mail into a FAilippine har-
bor.' the writer declares there is no
more regular service.
New Post Office Methods.
Newspapers and magazines tell al
most every day and week of some new
way in which the parcel post is serv
ing the business man or householder.
But experiments with new methods
are by no means confined to that
branch of the Post Office Departments
activities. Inere is Sui, ana perhaps
inevitably, in so large an organization,
much red tape which would appear to
hamper the departments greatest use
fulness. one instance being the regu-
lation against using postage stamps
for small remittances to the govern
ment.
The local post Office in the city of
Washington is rendering especial serv-
ice in this respect. and for very good
reasons: 1t is situated where the Post
M q a
of the service can be in close touch
and consultation: it has recently been
equipped with one of the finest and
most up-to date post Office buildings
in the country.
The new post Office at Washington.
costing $4,000 600. is a notable addition
to the imposing architecture of the
capital. But its modern equipment
and arrangement make its efficiency
quite as impressive. There is. for eN-
ample. an intricate system of moving
belts. installed IT cost of neaily
100000. for the distribution of mail.
Local Pickup" Service.
The pickup service for parcels.
which was started in Washington. is
greatly appreciated by residents of the
District. Amy householder can tele-
phone the Washington post office in
the morning that he has a package for
the parcel post. by afternoon col
lection wagon arrives in the course
of its rounds to letter collection box
es The collector brings the scales and
a parcel post guide into the house.
weighs the package and tells the
amount OF postage required. when the
stamps are affixed there is no further
bother to the householder except. per-
haps. to answer his phone. that same
evening. and hear his friend in another
part of the city acknowledge The re-
ceipt of the parcel This service is
limited to packages weighing not more
than ten pounds each or aggre eating
not more than that weight. Al some
business houses regular stops are made
ca CHI day.
In the prompt delivery not only of
parcel post packages. but of the regu-
lar mail the automobiles purcha for
the use of the Washington post office
and Washington was the first city to
have government owned motors in the
postal service-have been an impor-
ant factor. And. as indicated. they
nave contributed very substantially TO
he annual saving i'm operating cost.
Under the old contract system the gov
eminent paid 81 cents FER mile.
Big Cut in Cost.
The installation of the governments
,wn motors has reduced the cost OF
his service to fraction over cents
yer mile. This has been accomplished
~ the use of the trucks for all sorts of
purposes instead of for the specific
work stipulated in inelastic con-
ract. Instead of standing idle during
he parts of the day when they were
ot required for hauling mail sacks,
hese motor trucks are helping to ex-
,edite mail delivery. Ten or a dozen
arriers at a trip are rushed to their
articular outlying section of the city,
ach man being dropped as the motor
caches his route.
such trips save nine minutes man
n each trip over the street car time,
esides a saving of $3.50 year in
arfare. The saving in time is equiva-
emit to the services Of four AMI two
birds carriers per day. The carrier
rip schedules for the automobiles are
lterwoven with the schedule for the
elivery of parcel post, collection of
lail and train and station dispatches"