New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-03-02
Postal Subway
Urged, to Give
Soldiers Work
Proposed Route Would Link
Pennsylvania and Grand
Central Rail Terminals
Saving and Relief Seen
Would Eliminate Trucking
on Streets and Cut Down
Cost of transportation

New Works reputcd Great White
Way will come nearer to living up to
IT'S name and lose many of the aspects
or congested trressing district if
Representative Dasicl c. divers
mail tube project is carried into ex-
ecu1on by Congress.
Under the plans just completed
mail tube capable of handling all the
government business between the
Pennsylvania and Grand Central
terminals would be constructed be-
tween those two points, thus rcliev-
ing Forty-second Street, Broadway
and other thoroughfarcs in the heart
of the city of the scores of trucks
that carry 700 tons of mail bags over
them daily.
The project has been passed upon
favorably by the Congressional Com
mittee of Postotfice and Post Roads
and Representative Oliver is CON
WINGED that it VIII be favorably acted
upon at this session of Congress. In
addition to relieving the city of its
present traffic congestion, he argues
that it Will prove of such economic
value as to pay for itself in a short
time.
Would Eliminate Rail Gap
The proposed tube, which would
eliminate the only rail gap between the
Middle West and the New England
states. would cost Sl500OOO for con-
struction But as the government now
is spending $3.50 daily to truck its
New England bound mail across the
city to the Grand Central Terminal
this is not considered an exorbtant
outlay as a remedy for the present evil
Plans now uudpr CONS Il "a II on RON
template the construction of tube
twelve feet wide and seven feet high
containing double track for miniature
electric trains. The car bodies would
be detachable, thus making it possible
to roll the cars off of their trucks
and load the bags of mail upon trains
at each terminal without breaking bulk
Just now the route of the minia-
ture subway is a matter Of doubt
Several streets have been suggested,
but it is most likely that the bore
would be constructed from Forty
third Street, down Lexington Ave
nue. to Thirty-fourth Street west to
Eighth Avenue and south to the site
of the main postoflice This route
has been inspected by George II
Pegram. chief engineer for the Inter
. borough subway, and received his
official approval.
Relief TO Be Obtained
As to the relief that will be offered
the busiest section of New York
through completion of this subway
statistics have been gathered by pos
tai officials It was found that
1882 mail pouches, totalling from
500 to 1oO pounds, we're carried
through the streets on the day the
count VIVA made.
but most important in this inves-
'lTati0n was the discovery that prac-
ueally all of Tho mail that caused
the congestion in the citys stroets
WIS bound from pointa outside Of
iHc city TO other places outside the
CITY
investigation recently mnde by II
committee Of husiuesa mcn reaulted IN
the announcement thnt many OF the
most important mil trhine at both the
Grand t"uttAl and Pennsylvania ter.
mlunlH were being missed bechuso Of
tho present plan of delivery Those
who support the new tube system de.
clare that 1T will result in saving OF
rs minutes for ono round trip.
Employment for Soldiers
According to exports who testified
before Il postal subcommittee, OF
which Representative Oliver is chair
man, tN' Now tuDN WOulu care lpf
every possible increase in the nations
mail delivery through New York for
the next fifty years. After allowances
for upkecp, operation and construction
were made, It was declared that al
annual saving Of $37 900 would result
from operation Of the tube.
One OF the arguments in favor OF
immediate construction work on the
tube is that it would offer employ.
plcnt to many returning soldiers. En-.
ginecrs who have been consulted here
said that the number of men who
might be employed on such construc-
ton work in the event that the gov
eminent desired to push it to the
limit. was far greater than on any
other form of construction enterprise
and without additional cost to tn,
government.