New Britain herald., 1918-01-08
RECORDS BROKEN
 BY CHRISTMAS MAIL
7hirty-HVe Per Cent. Heavier
 Than in Former Years

TeIegraph reports to the Post Off, 1 fee department from the various divi-
 sons of the Railway Mail service and ! from postmasters throughout the | country show that notwithstanding 1 this very great increase in volume, the ! mail has been handled as satisfactorily
 and eXpeditiously as during any of the i preceding Christmas seasons.
 The reports uniformly declare that l the congestion this year was rather
 less than usual, though in some cases i the amount of parcel post handled 1 was from 40 to 50 per cent. greater 1 than last year. The facility with which 1 this immense volume of both first class mail and parcel post has been handled is attributed to the success of the universal campaign for early Christmas mailing, and to the fact that the Post Office department, an- ticipating an unusual heavy mail, took exceptional measures for it's handling far in advance of the usual time.
 The reports from the Railway Mail service division indicate that the Christmas business began in large volume two months ago; and that, due to advance preparations and early | mailing, the Christmas business was DSlleI coIlSlOSI1llS llS lh- l creased volume, than at any time within the past ten years.
 l The reports from all of the post l masters agree as to the heavy increase l of mail matter and it's satisfactory | handling as compared with other | Christmas seasons. The reports from l the postmasters at New York, Chicago, | and St. Louis, three of the heaviest | distributing points, are indicative of 1 conditions throughout the country The postmaster at Chicago, in a 1 dispatch dated December 21, states | that HOO tons of outbound parcel | post-27 per cent. above the highest | record made last year-passed through | that office on the 20th, and that in ! bound receipts were 12 per cent. l heavier than the year before. This 1 required the employment of 30 trucks l in addition to the regular equip
 ment S,200 loads of mail of all l classes were carried by the motor vehicle service between Monday and 1 Friday without a single failure to | make proper train connection Dur l ing four days 500 full car loads of { outbound parcel post was dispatched I and there was, the postmaster reports, ! no delay or confusion in handling out
 going or incoming mail. The post ] master at New York states 1 the increase of Christmas mail over
 last year to have been from 20 per 1 cent to 25 per cent, and that it was
 handled without congestion or delay. 1 At St. Louis the increase of outgoing g
 mail over last Christmas season was l 15 per cent. and that of the incom-
 ing mail 40 per cent. It was handled
 absolutely without delay.
 Railway Mail Service.
 The conditions of the Railway Mail
 Service during the heaviest strain, which Second Assistant Postmaster | General Praeger regards as excep- tionally satisfactory considering the
 unusual increase of mail to be car- | ried, is shown by the following re-
 ports from division superintendents:
 New York Division: Christmas mails
 going into New York very heavy. Dis
 tribution and platforms at Grand Gen.
 tral and Pennsylvania terminals in
 good condition.
 Cincinnati Division: Situation all
 points satisfactory. Enormous amount
 parcel post but moving rapidly. No
 congestion
 Chicago Division: Records show 20
 per cent. increase yesterday, high peak
 on outbound mail last night. Inbound
 mail very heavy today and increasing
 mails being moved promptly. No con-
 gestion in RPO cars, terminals or sta-
 tions. Conditions outside Chicago
 good throughout division with very
 little unworked mail to date only en- barrassment due to shortage of sacks Weather conditions favorable. Sp1en- did cooperation from railroads and good auto service.
 St Louis Division: Situation very satisfactory here, reports from 4th, 5th, 9th and 7th districts indicate no congestion anywhere. Mails reported d heavy at Kansas City, not heavier than usual here on account of diver sion to water routes. Weather excel lent. No service Cincinnati and St Louis train 12 last night or train A this morning. Company unable tc furnish equipment account of wreck but conditions now normal. Received l considerable Texas stuck mail from eastern lines but think we can han dle in terminal and on St. Louis and S Little Rock line with out much delay San Francisco Division: No conges- ton mails in this division. Conditions most satisfactory.
 Cleveland Division: No congestion St Paul Division: Mails very heavy ! but coming regularly. No delay, con- A geStiOn or confusion.
 E Fort Worth Division Condition! H in division satisfactory (20th) eXcep s account extraordinary traffic all line: x including furlough troop movemen 1 railroad facilities F't Worth badl. overtaxed. Some storage cars due no furnished and seemingly impossible H always set cars for advance loading I as agreed on. Had conference rail road officials today and they givt handling mail preference and promis' setting storage cars the proper time N Save extra force including office meI hotion taken helipVef