Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1916-08-19
RECOMMENDS 500
Fl. FLOOR SPACE
FOR P0ST0FF|CE
ASSISTANT GENERAL SUPERiNTEN-
DENT r. M. S. SETS WHEELS IN
MOTION FOR RELIEF.
ALSO RECOMMENDS AN ADDITIONAL
RAILWAY MAIL CAR FOR THRU
MAIL TO LOWER VALLEY.

Relief for the conge~tcd situation at
the Brownsville po-toffce and throughout
the lower Valley. resulting from the sud
den mobilization Of large bodies here,
loomcd promi~inglv in sight yesterday at
noon when NJ. III. Bunn, assistant super
intendcnt the railway mail service at
tachcd to the office ot the second assist
ant postmaster general, sent a telegram
10 Washington recommending that the
floor space in the Brownsville postotlice
be increased AT once.
Ills recommendation provided for the
addition ID tli4 working room IN the post
office Of nearly 800 square feet of floor
space by acquiring a portion Of the store
room of the customs house. III put into
effect petition will be built cutting
about 80 bv H. feet from the customs
house. Immediately in the rear Of Deputy
Collector Malthy'- office. and double
archwav will bc cut from this improvi>ed
room connecting with the poJ>ollice work
room. a door will be- rut in the rear for
the admission and exit "f mail sacks.
Also WI d result Of this trip an inpor-
tant change has been provided to take ef-
feet AT once in the method of handling the
mail between Houston and points on the
Valley branch. Instead of the existing
single through railway mail postofhce
from Houston 10 Brownsville, under
which system an mail for the branch
line h. re-handled on this line and trans
icrrcd al Harllngen. an additional
through railway mail coach will he pnt IN
service from Houston 10 Mission. This,
II i claimed, will greatly relieve the sit
uation W. ID handling the mail en- route
and will only affect the public al
Brownsville BY le~~ening the possibilities
~ delay. Under the new plan the mail
for Brownsville and for points on the
Harrington Mission line must be separat-
cd before leaving Houston
Accompanying Mr.. Bum on this trip
were :. VI. Game, Of Fort Worth, Texas,
superintendent NJ the railway mail ser
vice for the eleventh district. q. I. l.eake
of IIon-ton. Texas. chief clerk Of the
railway mail service FOR this district and
r. H. nawkin- If Austin, post office in
~pcctor for this diitrict. All members Of
the party left Yesterday afternoon on the
4 o'clock train for Houston. Mr.. Bum in
tcSlcd leaving for trip through the
Valley, but remained over until today on
account VI weather conditions.
Before returning 10 Washington. Mr..
Bum viii visit the postoffces at Laredo.
Texas Douglas and perhaps 20 to border
noint. i'm California.
"Nv trip" he stated. 81 result Of the
cougc-tcd condition III the mail service
brought about hv the sudden mobilization
of troops on the border. ! came 70
Brownsville first because this section
contains the heaviest concentration Of
soldiers
"Your po-toffcc. I found" said Mr..
Bum. "ha- handled the situation admi-
rahlv and has dome everything humanity
possible ~ dn IL order IN meet condi-
iion~. All changes that have heecn pro-
vidcd for and recommended closely fol
low suggestions made by your po~tmas
ter"
The treasury department. which con
trol~ the building win pass on the recon
mcndatinn for more space.
II was M the suggestion of Deputy
7 Customs Collector Malthv. custodian of
the federal building. after taking the
matter M with Collector Frank Rahb,
+ that the treasury department was re-
4 quc~ied to permit part Of the customs
! office being used by the po~toiiice. Mr.
! Maltby had made this suggestion to the
postmaster. II j. stated. about the time
that Mr. Bum and hi party arrived IN
I Brownsville. when the matter was taken
IN with the latter