The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-03-12
,est is Made of Local Business
Houses by Postoffiee Depart
ment to Expedite Mail
Service.
COOPERATION HELPFUL
,das Ia Proposed That Letters Can
Be Mailed at Various
Intervals During
Day.

Keokuk business houses Wn'cn ar
!. tba habit OF mailing all their let
.ars In the evening, are asked by tnt
nostofice department to get some o.
iSis d;ctation out of the way in the
s r-a or at least to not hold al
- ,be letters until the last thing II
the evening. 49, 49,, =.
,or,nent at washington has been ad
dressed to the local business houses
and is sent to Secretary Fulton OF the
ndustrial association:
WASHINGTON, Feb. %, 191s.-Tc
the secretary:
At the beginning of the war the
oostofice department announced Its
opnosition to any curtailment or re.
striction of the postal service. and
IN tho face of adverse conditions has
endeayored to maintain this policy
Tba Encouragement of traffic condi-
lions throughout the country incident
IL war is no doubt generally .recog-
nized but it is felt that if one fea
tlre is brought clearly to the atten.
ton of the business world much
benefit will result to all.
Rearrangernents effected, from time
fl time. with a view to eXpediting
SHIPMENTS of war material have
brought about a large reduction in
facilities available for transportation
If the mails. This, in connection
with the abnormal increase in bulk
Of mailings, has resulted in greatly
Nerburdening the service during
some portions of the day and in de-
lay and congestion at some points.
AT present it is the practice Of many
business men and firms to hold prac-
tically all outgoing mail until the
late afternoon or early evening hours.
This necessitates the facing, cancel
[lation. distribution, pouching and dis
patching of from 60 to so per cent OF
| all outgoing matter within a period Of
three or four hours. 1t is apparent
| that if this work could be distributed
lover twelve or fourteen hours no.
| only would it be handled with greater
facility but it's dispatch would be
FASTENED many hours.
Realizing fully the losses and In
convenience which may result to
business men and other patrons be
cause of delayed mails, the depart
ment is utilizing every available
facility and straining every nerve tC
|render the best service possible In the
circumstances. 1t is believed that
|ths business men of the country can
be of invaluable assistance in meet.
+ng the situation, with little or no
additional expense to themselves. by
making some slight changes in their
daily routine. Obviously it Is OF the
Utmost Importance that letters be
posted promptly, to secure their dis
patch on the first scheduled train, as
failure to make connection is now
nuch more serious than in normal
lines and might result in a delay in
Delivery of twenty-four hours or more.
Attention is invited to the advisa-
pity OF signing and preparing for
dispatch all letters and other mail
formulating up to noon. and of mail
ng them at that time; thus a consid-
erable quantity would be in transit to
estimation before the close of the
business day.
In view Of the foregoing, it is urg-
Fntly requested that your organiza-
Foa impress upon business men the
Ereat advantage to be gained by both
ne department and the public if they
VII adopt the practice OF depositing