Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-02-07
CARELESsNEsS Of
PATRONS RE TARDs
MAIL DELIVERIES
Absence of Street Numbers
and Mail Boxes Causes
Much Delay; Similarity of
Names Source Of Annoyance

Persons who are inclined to find
never pause to think how much they
themselves contribute to inafficiency
or delay in the prompt and proper
handling of mail. Yet it is a fact
that if the public gave the postal en-
ployes the necessary cooperation, mail
could be disposed of much more ex-
pedtiously than it is at present and
the work could be handled with few
er employees than are now required.
One of the greatest troubles with
which employees of the local postof-
flee have to contend Is the absence
of street numbers or other Informal
ton to show where letters. in many
cases, should be delivered. This comes
about quite often on account of resi-
dents of Albuquerque failing to give
their correspondents the necessary
information so that replies can be
properly addressed and this. coupled
with the fact that many names are
the same, causes the postoffice en-
ployes unnecessary trouble and often
results in delays to mail.
For instance, a glance through the
city directory shows three Aragons.
all living at widely separated adj
dresses. If, as is frequently the case.
a letter is received here addressed to
''C' Aragon. with no street address
given. the letter carriers might have
to make three attempts before the let
ter in question would reach the pro-
ner person. There are three Charles
Browns, three Frank Rrowns and
three John Browns, and while their
middle names are different. should
this information be omitted from the
letters one will readily understand
lust what the mail carriers would be
MP against. There are two Miss Maud
ProWns There is a Francis f. Wood
and Frank E. Wood If Won We're a
mail carrier and received letter al
dressed to "F T.. Wood, Albuquerque
N. NJ" to which one of these men
would you deliver it?
One might go on indefinitely, al
most, citing instances whore there are
several families having the same sur
name also where members Of fami-
lies having the same surnames have
identically the same Christian name
IN such cases if letters arc not adj
dressed 10 street or box number, or
other information is not given SO, as
to make proper delivery possible, adj
ditional work is imposed upon the
postoffice employees and the mail is
of necessity delayed in reaching the
person to whom it belongs because
1t may have to go to three or four
places before 1t comes into posses
sion of the person for whom it was
intended.
Mail, properly addressed, can be
handled in half the time that it takes
when the address is insufficient Get
into the habit of asking your cores
pondents to give your street or box
number in all cases. This is neces-
sary, first, because Albuquerque has
a large transient population and. sec
ond, because it is merely a common
sense way of doing business.
Another way in which persons who
receive mail can help out is to num-
Der their houses and put UP mail
boxes Perhaps half of the residences
have no receptacle for mail and many
of the houses have no numbers. 1t
may be news to you to hear that
there are women in Albuquerque tyou
would be surprised if we mentioned
their names) who insist that the post
man ring their door bell and wait M
til they come to the door to receive
their mail in person. If they happen
to be in the bath tub when the post
man calls, he must wait until they
'slip on something and appear at
the door. If they run down town, the
postman must take their mail back
to the office with him and deliver 1t
on his next trip. And strange to say,
there is nothing in the postal regula-
lions to deal with such nonsense. A
man does not have to number his
house or put up mail box, so far as
the government is concerned. But
civic pride and a desire to aid in the
prompt delivery of mail ought to be
reasons enough for him doing both,
II is apparent to anyone that a mail
carrier with probably three hundred
deliveries to make. is going to be
badly delayed If he is compelled to
spend even one or two extra m inutes
at each home he visits on his rounds,
Receptacles for mail would obvtate all
of this needless delav, and with the
houses properly numbered the deliv-
erv Of mail would be greatly expedit-
ed
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