The Washington times., 1916-12-13
CHICAGOANS DEFEND
TUBE MAIL SYSTEM.
Oppose Abolition Of Delivery
Method Before House POST
office Body.
NOT STEP IN EFFICIENCY
IAN Effort Toward Economy at
Expense Of Speed" Says
One Witness.
NOT STEP IN EFFICIENCY

A dozen OF Chicago's business men
boarded q train and came East to tell
the House Copmittee on Postoffices
and Postroads why the pneumatic tube
mail delivery system should not be
abolished.
Farmers do not have to fight to
get extension Of rural delivery" one
of them told the committee. "But we
business men have to put up a fight
every SO often to keep what we've
"No one would contend that the
abolition of the tubes Is in the Interest
OF efficiency" another asserted. at
IL simply another effort toward econ.
omy at the expense of speed"
Sends Representative Group.
Chicago. like Boston, which preced.
ed IL at the hearing yesterday, sent
the most representative group OF bust.
ness men II could get together.
There were John NJ. Glenn, secretary
OF the Illinois Manufacturer Associa.
Asscciation OF commerce OF cRYcaso;
Angus y. Hibbard, director OF the chi.
cago Telephone Co: w. II. Kerr, armed
with 100 telegrams from as many
John c. Mcclure, Of the Christy Let.
ters representing tho advertising as.
sociation OF Chicago, and others who
are leaders In their lines OF business.
Held Watches on Operation.
These men had held watches on the
operation OF Chicago's ten miles OF
pneumatic tubes. They told how the
tubes represented 100000 invest.
died daily by them. how Ii5 letters
arc handled for 4 cent, and reminded
the committee that nifty letters aver.
age pound, and for that pound the
In the case OF one OF these mon.
John 9. Mcclure. n man OF sixteen
years experience In Chicago with
complicated mail order campaigns. hts
own stamp purchases annually
amount to SeO0.oO0. more than the
coat of maintaining the entire tube
system In Chicago. Tho postoffico
pays only ST0,1IO yearly for the
Says More Tubes Are Needed.
W. Il. Kicr gavo the committee a
WHY'D picture OF the comparative timo
II would. take to distribute mall by
tubes to the various railway stations
u, would take by automobile. He
had timed these experiments himself
and weighed the packages going into
Nt'T u LOT
more tubes 10 show that their aboii.
ton was FAR from being advocated by
any business men In Chicago. He
said the only charge OF inadequacy OF
ths service arose because there were
not enough tubes.
Points 10 Fatal Accidents.
He said The operation OF the tubes
W. automobiles was analogous to
telephones above and underground,
and II had been shown that the under.
ground system was more efficient.
"This question can't be settled by a
outside or Chicago" he said. ''Tho
tubes and their silence sGak so loud.
changing and racket OF % automobile M lie
Mr.. Glenn urged that the Postofflce
Department undertake no sySIem OF
sse ,fsiriS os oS %SSs chesso sanS et
He pointed TO 270 fatal automobile ac-
oidents from January !, 1915, To Do.
cember o, OF this year. and a total OF
Sie. Goyern%ent mall automobiies
killed three persons In this period. he
said,
~ objects 90 Hours Delivery.
Chairman Moon had deprecated the
efforts OF a previous witness to show
that a minute or two In time was
=. saved by the tubes.
"one minute might make q whole
lot OF difference II an order depended
upon H." said Mr.. Glenn.
A Boston witness, speaking on thii
point remarked. ''rhs statement OF the
chairman that 4 minute and n halt
shouldn't make so much difference
leads me 70 believe that the Postoffict
Department has concluded that a dif
AH
worry them. We might not complain
about the minute, but we have reason
10 complain about delays OF an hour
or more which we have suffered re
Mr.. Mcclure had outlined a state
ment OF the comparative cost OF the
tube and automobile service.
,,dnsi. Ths IopSSi nc ststes with ntS
machines at $4,000 each, three chauf
feurs for twenty-four hours continu
GUS service at an average salary 'ol
$3.50 each, with seventymiies pei ma a
Is cents per gallon, depreciation a.
33 Is per cent per annum on tht
initial cost, garage charges ana re
pairs Sop wSS,d put sshse. arSm N senyies e
a. against the present tubes. and y
would take a wide stretch OF imagi
nation 10 reach the conclusion thai
thirtyeight or forty maehines nnnid mstn uhas as,
ncomina and outgoing trains and
handle 5000. 900 pieces OF nrst-clas'
mail daily"
Time For Transmission.
Mr.. Mcclure said the charge had
been made that II takes twenty-five
minutes for Transmission from th'
GENERAL postoffice to the northwest
ern station.
'T investigated and found Il takes
four minutes for transmfssior
through the tubes from the heart ol
the Chicago general postonice 70 tht
heart OF the mailing room, ana tWen
ty,one minutes to sack II and get u
on the train. a distance of one city
block," he stated,
The House committee adjourned a.
q O'clock last evening to go on VIII
the hearing at 1880 this morning.
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