New-York tribune., 1919-02-26
Drive Begun
For New York
Mail Tunnel
Oliver Working to Get Bill
in Hands of President Be-
fore the End of Session
2. o. Department Helping
Tube Between Pennsylvania
and Grand Central Would
Provide Work for Jobless
Stat Correspordence

Stdf Correspondence
WASHINGTON, Feb. 25.-Representa-
tive Daniel C. Oliver, of New York,
with the backing of unanimously
favorable report from the House Post
office Committee supplemented by the
support of the Postoffice Department,
to-day began drive to get the New
York mail tunnel bill, connecting the
Grand Central and Pennsylvania Rail
road terminals, into the hands of the
President, before March A.
The business interests of New York
have approved the measure, party
leaders on both sides of the House
view it with favor, and First Assistant
Postmaster General Koons to-day de-
clared it to be vital necessity in the
rapid handling of mail at New York.
Inc Dill also points a way toward
providing employment for several thou
sand men for upward of year. 1t is
this feature of the measure which ap-
peals to members of all parties who
are interested in providing employment,
through the launching of useful public
improvements, for the thousands of
Jobless and returning soldiers.
Representative Oliver tonight ex-
pressed confidence in his ability to
days which will insure the early pas
sage of the bill in the House. Mr..
Koons declared his belief that both
Senate and House would adopt it in
some form before the adjournment
March A.
Would Displace Old Tube
The bill provides for the construc-
tion between the two great railroad
o oil f
and seven feet high, through which
electrically operated cars shall carry
the mail which is now hurried across
New York in automobile trucks. 1t
will displace the automatic tube sys-
TEN, which. according to The First
Assistant Postmaster General, out
lived its usefulness ten years ago.
Under the proposed new system
where mail trucks now take thirty
minutes to make the trip from one
terminal to the other, the tunnel cars
Will make the trip in six minutes
iwenty-four inmates on each trip, or
forty-elght minutes on the round trip
will thus be saved. 1t will eliminate
26o truck trips per day 1t will in
sure prompt dispatch of mails. certain
making of trains, and shorten the de-
livery of mail in the interior cities by
several hours. And it will save about
$4,000 per year in operating costs.
likewise, it will conserve human life.
Nine people were killed by postal mo-
tor trucks between the Grand Central
and Pennsylvania terminals last wear.
1T Will relieve congestion in a district
which IS declared to be the most con-
gested in the world
The present plan looks only to the
construction of a tunnel between the
two terminals named. Ultimately. how
ever, it is hoped to extend the tunnel
from the Pennsylvania terminal to the
old postoffice in City Hall Place, and
perhaps to Brooklyn.
The cost of the present plan is fixed
at $l,500,00O, and the time in which
the tunnel can be completed between
nine months and a Year Expert wit
nesses who appeared before the Post
office Committee declared that the pro-
Ject was feasible, and that no physical
obstructions particularly need be feared
in prosecuting the work.