Evening star., 1918-01-20
NEARBY MARYLAND
LONG WITH NO MAIL
Deliveries Lapse for Nearly
Month Over Star Routes
Out of Anacostia.

Uul OI HIldCUStids
In Maryland, within fifteen or twenty
miles Of Washington. are communities
on state rural delivery routes covered
by the Anacosita post office In whicn no
mail has been delivered for nearly a
month. other places, within mucn
shorter distance have not had mail
since January 8.
Rssidents in southern Maryland are
wrought up. Appeals have been maze
10 their representatives in Congress IN
IN effort to have their mall deiiVereo
10 them.
In many instances, 1t IL declared. mail
-. n.en deiivered in lower Maryland
adiacent to the Potomac river by those
ISo have happened to stop at the ana,
costa post ONCE and have carried man
back with them. 4 eoiorea Ha1ghts MJa
Nd, one day during the past week, Y
ia reported, carried 11S pieces OF man
from the Anacostia station to dis
tribute to her netghoors.
December Mail Undelivered.
At the Anacostia station at the pres
snt time there Is much mail %nicn mas
one Marylander. dwelling on sneriH
road. became worried as he had not re-
eeived word for some time from son
Aehting with Gen. Pershings forces IN
france. He paid q visit to the Anacos-
tia post ONCE, it is stated, and there re-
oeiyed five letters which had been WITT
ten to him by his son.
The present situation, 1t is declared.
has been brought about as the a;u result oa ta
change delivery of mail over six routes
10 delivery over three routes:
From the Anacostia post office NUM-
her of horsedrawn rural mail routes
have been operated to points a1a IN IN Mhes taese
routes were abolished, and consolidated
into two motor routes, known as routes
ga" and "B" This was done as
matter Of economy.
motorized routes the department pas
had considerable trouble in retaining
carriers to serve them because roao
conditions were not suitable for motor
vehicles: At times these routes nave
been without service.
According to former carrier on
these routes. there has been no delivery
of mail on route "B" since the midoie
Of December. The carriers nave Snit
and no one can be found to take their
1laces Recently but half this route
kas been served.
Carriers 0u1t Service.
Prior to the posting Of notice by
Postmaster Chance January that the
dapartment requested bids for star
route service on rural routes l., and >,
service on routes 8 and .. formerly
route 'B"-from Anacostta station
had been regular and satisfactory.
When carriers on these routes. EN-
ployed under civil service learned that
they quit One Of these carriers, re-
ceiving q salary Of $1,000 year. could
not bid for q route as long as he was
n the service. and, consequently, re-
He submitted . bid Of sl.755 on q
feur-yeay contract for the identical
work he had been doing. His bid Is
said to have bean the only one submit
routes. it Is stated. there were no bids.
Star routes and are intended to
cover the teFritory formerly served by
reute a. The aggregate length OF
% be- routSse for horse drasrH- vehicles.
star route No. I. Formerly route No.
!, Will continue for hoFse-drawn We
hieles. Its length Is at.l5 miles and It
ssss 80 sssy. Ent hs reos Motor
route "a" Hotorixed two years ago.
q 52.34 miles long and serves 3s1 boxes.
Ten hours are required to serve 1t It
Sa sea
tS~s~ 3 SAsH - ~Se@<eSNeS " -
Moter Service Costly.
One reason Why carriers cannot be
secured for the motor vehicle routes.
iRg such q vehicle The expenses of
ens carrier for operating his machine
@ November was Ss4.14,
W. D. Brown. representative Of the
rural delivery carriers. declared last
alght that letting of star routes by
contract II violation of law. He pointed
out that con9ress passed the follow
tag prohihitory provision In the appli-
cation for star route service:
provided, that no part of this ap-
1yoprfatien shall be expended for con-
Anuance Of any star route service. the
patronage Of which shall be served en-
uFely by the extension Of rural de-
sum BE- expended for the establishment
e1 new star route service for q pa
t1onaGe which is already entirely
served by rural delivery service.
w. Hunter Haycock. superintendent
lss the division Of mails Of the city
there has been much delay in delivery
OF mails over star routes from Ana
costa post Office. He said the delay
was due to the fact that carriers could
route 'B" he said. delivery only in
pert had been made since December %,
while ON route No. 40 mail had been
delivered since January 8.
No Relief in Sight.
Mr.. Haycock said the situation could
not be relieved until carriers are OBJ
tained to deliver the mail There Ia
Ruch mail now at the Anacostta sta
ton, he said, which cannot be delivered
10 persons In lower Maryland unless
Other residents take Il to them. When
asked II the carrier who submitted a
bid Of 31,755 to cover the route which
he formerly covered for $1,000 would
ret the Job. Mr.. Haycock said he did not
know about the case.
Edgar Church, postmaster at Anacos-
d. station. also said that much mai
had not been delivered on the star
routes for the reason that he could not
gpt carriers to handle IT.
SPANISH LINE LACKS COAL.
Uhless Fuel Is Obtained on This
! Side Of Water VIII Suspend.
HAVANA. Cuba. January ls.-The