South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-02-14

CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONEJ |
quate 10 accommodate the volume !
OF business to be transacted.
Auc to-day. when efficiency is q !
rrtc-IcaI aid 10 business i1 its
transaction. any private institution /
with the volume of business TO be I
transacted 20 be found ut The South 4
Pend post onice, and with the |
promise OF more business in Che inn
mediate future that Will make the |
present post Office quarters even I
far more inadequate than thcy are |
NJ present. would have lOns ago /
made the necessary engagements In I
It's business handling facilities
An inspection Of the interior OF |
the post office building at jefferson |
blvd and Main St. will convince any I
citizen that the quarters are FAR too
small right now. and with the
rrowth Of the city promised through /
The proposed industrial expansion
that is already taking place. they are
rapidly growing more inadequate.
To Interest Authorities.
Plans are now on foot 90 interest
he federal government in improving
post office facilities that will meet
10th the present and immediate fu-
.u-c needs Of South Pend. A com
ui.tce or prominent citizens has been
appointed 10 make the necessary in
Nestgation regarding the conGested
conditions at the post office and
make recommendations TO the pOsS
office department at Washington
3 view OF the conditions under
which the business at the post office
IS conducted shows that the conges-
ton comes with the incoming mail
at an early hour in the morning.
and continues throughout the day.
increasing many fold when the large
volume Of outgoing mail reaches the
post office late IN the afternoon.
There IS not a department that
has sufficient room for the trarsac-
| ton If its business There IS no
space anywhere iu the building for
tables on which to handle either the
outgoing or incoming mail therefore,
carriers and other handlers of mail
must use whatever floor space they
may find unused by some other car
rier or mail handler.
Condition of Departments.
Peginning with the general de
livery department, the congestion due
10 lack of space is found There IS.
not room enough in this department
10 handle even the first class mail
adequately let alone second, third
and fourth class mail matter.
The congestion continues on 20
the stamp department to the regis
try department, TO the parcel post
department. on 20 the money order
department. the mail insurance de-
partmcnt on 10 every department
and even the lobby where the public
does not have room enough 10 get
to the various windows TO transact
5ts business.
From all appearances. the build
ing which has done service IN It's pre-
Int form since 1908 has been out
grown until the needs for more IA
cilities for handling the mail in
South Bend are far more pressing
that they were at the time the pre-
sent building was remCdeled in 1903
Need New Building.
The solution is said 10 be a new
post office building or the remodel
ing of the present building 10 such
an extent that the needs Will be met
Post office officials say mat II is
not possible TO properly transact the
citys mail business under present
eramped conditions, although they
are making every effort humanity
possible TO give the public the ser
vice il demands.
But il is pointed out that it is linz
possible TO give the best service, or
anything approaching the best SER
vice. when IL is necessary 20 cover
She floor space of the building that
should be reserved solely for en-
ploycs TO walk about upon with
thousands and thousands of pieces
Of mail matter that are put there in
handling simply because there is no
other place 10 put them.
There is no grumblinE among post
office officials They simply realize
the conditions under which they are
forced 70 work. and are asking for
relief that viii not only he relief TO
them bat TO the public as well.
And even II there was sufficient
room al the post Office for the
transaction Of business. which there
aSsuredIy is not. other conditions in
the building and its arrangement
are very FAR from being conducive 10
good work.
Use Artificial Light
In the hrst place. the arrangement
f the interior OF the building is
such that artificial ught must be
used at all times. while the lobby,
where no work is done is provided
with natural daylight
Unlike many post oIi-e bGild!nEs.
1- south BEND post ouIce f. sadly
lacking in facilities Tor providing
natural daylight The lobby. where
suere is no need for eve sJraining,
sud no particular need for daylight.
tlcre IS plenty OF the latter. while
the interior Of the building. where
carriers and clerks must read thou
sands OF addresses during The day.
and must not make mistakes. there
- no daylight. I-very thlng must be
cone by the liEht thrown out by the
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