Evening journal., 1920-11-30
some NEEDS Of
POSTAL SYSTEM
Separation of Parcels and
FirSt-class Mail is
Desired
SALARIES
ALSO NECESSARY
Rx LORRY A 1AcnRs

N. r A. 'Staff Correspondent.
NEW YORK, Nov. 30--Here's what
Uncle Sans postal service needs:
t-Complete separation OF parcel
pot and first class mail.
2-Reorganization Of railway and
overseas mail distribution.
S-Better facilities for handling mall
In big terminals.
4-Better branch post offlces and
higher salaries.
These, roughly, are the improve.
ments w B Richards & CO. engineers,
Will recommend Uncle SAN. make. The
company Is the first to be employed
by Congress to make a constructive
criticism OF ths mails. Tt is probable
that the joint postal service commits
sion VIII adopt It's report and IN this
case Congress is likely TO order the
changes made.
Charles A. Howard OF the Richards
company gave me the flrst interview
on the company's survey the changes
10 will recommend
Pascel post mail must he handled
separately from first class mail. "Only
~ 10 10 per cent of the total mail TO.
day is first class said Howard, 1.-THE
bulk Is parcel post. Probably The size
OF parcels Will be increased and thai
makes it doubly important that new
plan of Gaming for parcel post mail be
adopted, otherwise the mail viii be
swamped. The present system was or
ganized TO care for ffrst-class mail
and is antiquated and inadequate.
Gerat delay OF mail will be avoided
II a INV plan or railway transporta-
lion Is devised. AT present" Howard
explained. mail is carried on certain
trains only. II a shipment Of mail
misses Its regular train 10 may have
TO walt several trains before another
arrives on which space Is chartered
space may have to be bought on all
trains as was done at one time"
A new department-the sea post de-
partment-must be formed Foreign
mail service is in v.ry bad shape =
Howard told me. There isn't SO
much overseas mail but it comes in
chunks and is capable Of disruptnc
the entire New York mail service unit
II is handled II is nflen delayed three
and four days. Probably we shall
recommnd sea post service similar
10 the railway mail service At pres
ent there are not enough boats in the
service. Foreign mail by The new
plan would be handled separate from
domestic mail"
Better means Of handling mail in
large cities must be arranged THE
hig cities present special problems,
Howard believes. New York is the
heart OF the postal service The sys-
tenn Of pneumatic tubes, once used
that carried mail from the central 20
sub-post Offices may have 10 be restor-
ed, and there is also the question OF
mail tunnels II New York. New York
alone has 300 motor trucks in mail
s1vire Probably the whole service
will have to be equipped with trucks
mad quate and inefficient post offices
| buildings must be done away with
lone OF the most important causes 0
4 inefllclency Is the post office huildin.
/ Itself This is The fault Of a foolisl
4 law that provides the buildings hl
/ planned by the Treasury Department
Many post Offices are lnconceivahll
inadequate"
Civil service rules must be changed
To give better salaries THE question
OF salaries is vital" Howard declared
THE department cannot get men &c
illl Jobs al present salaries. In husi-
ness companies meet competition in
the matter Of salaries. The Pos,
ONCE Department cannot. The man
in New York must draw The same pay
as The man in Kansas although he has
30 pay more To live
The Richards company has not y
been able to survey the air mail
Howard thinks many psoYisions Will
have TO be made for this increasing
class Of service.