Evening star., 1916-07-20
THREE THOUSAND VISIT
THE CITY POST OFFICE

More than 5000 persons. including
500 postmasters and their guests, had
very enjoyable visit to the Washing
ton city post office last night, where
they were received by Postmaster Mer-
rit o. Chance and the officials of his
staff.
The Marine Band of thirtytwo pieces,
stationed in the west end of the cor
ridor, played. and many of the guests
from distant states appreciated the op-
portunity to hear this famous organi-
zation OF musicians-the Presidents
own band, about which they had read
SO much.
The reception at the Washington
post Office was one of the most en-
joyable features of the postmasters
visit to the capital. Each visitor was
presented with souvenirs, consisting
of steel engravings of Postmaster Gen
eral Burleson and the Washington
post office building and information
about the postal values of the business
was given a corsage bouquet of roses
with the compliments Of the Office
force.
Assisted at the Reception.
After being received by the postmas-
ter in his Office. the visitors were
shown through the cashiers office. the
money order rooms and the big work
rooms. They ended their tour at the
Post Office Club. where some of them
played games. including duckpins and
billiards.
Assisting Postmaster Chance in the
reception were these officials: r. H.
Lovett, postal cashier, c. p. McCurdy,
ra 81
iner of stations: j. H. Collier, book
keeper: w. T. Sherwood. secretary to
the postmaster: l.. J. Robinson, appoint
ment clerk: w w. Day. in charge OF
supplies; w. Fl. Haycock, superintend-
ent of mails: F. Sillers. assistant super
intendent of mails; F. D. Riggles. as
sistant superintendent of mails; s. G.
Bursley, assistant superintendent of
mails: P. Otterback, assistant superin-
tendent of malls; c. E. Schooler, su-
perintendent of carriers; c. B. Mat
thews. superintendent of station A; J.
+. Woltz. superintendent of station E;
q. {. Bondurant, superintendent of sta
ton c; J. w. Cotter, superintendent of
ent of station G.: Edgar Church, super
intendent of station H; d. r. Beane,
superintendent of Chevy Chase branch;
L. T.. Barnard, superintendent of Brook
land station: H. w. k1otz. superintend-
ent OF Takoma Park station.
The postmasters were especially in
terested in the equipment of mail
chutes and conveyors. etc, facilitating
the transmission of mail, which has
made the Washington office rated as
one of the most efficient in the entire
United States.
1t was explained to them that the use
or conveyors carrying the mail from
one part Of the building to the other
saves much manual labor. and what Is
much more important in postal SER
vice-time.
Interested in Amount of Work Done
How the vast amount, Of mail from
the government printing Office and the
tons a day that represents Uncle Sans
own personal mail is handled expedi-
tiously was a popularity Of the Wash
ington city post Office administration
that held the interest OF all the visi-
tors.
A thirty-inch conyeyor with OPEN
ings on all the floors of the govern
ment printing office. is utilized in con-
veying mail from that building to the
mailing section of this office, the re-
ceiving station at this end being locat-
ed near the pouching rack and near the
bridge over which the dispatches are
made This conveyor passes Under
North Capitol street through a tunnel,
the mail being brought up three stories
from the post off1ce end of the tunnel
to the mail room floor by a large buck
ct lift. the receptacles having a carry
ing capacity of four filled No. mail
sacks. This mail requires no handling
from the time 1t Is placed upon the
conveyor in the government printing
office until 1t reaches the post once. il
being transferred automatically from
one section of the conveyor to the
other and requiring about nine min
utes in transit.
All of the incoming and outgoing
mail of the Washington Office is con-
yeyed between the post ONCE and Union
station over bridge which connects
the two buildings. The mail is con-
veyed by electric trucks and large hand
truckk