The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-01-15
Mail Early.

To the Editor. The wsshinEton Herald:
1t is with regret that 1 find it nee
essary to again ask for your sup
port Of the early mailing plan OF the
department II seems that the fine
enthusiasm exhibited by business
patrons of the postofilce and. the pub
lie generally engendered by the sp-
peal OF Postmaster General Hays for
Early mailing is gradually disappear
ing. Receipts OF, letter mail during
the forenoon and early afternoon
which rose. in about three months
from less than IS per cent OF the
total mailings for the twenty-four
hours, to over 30 per cent, have fallen
away until at present they amount to
only a very small fraction more OF
that total than prior to the institu-
zion of the early mailing campaign.
I believs that the Washington Post
ONCE has done its part to support the
campaign of the department. You
will recall that the number Of ooIlec-
lions in the business district Of the
city was doubled in frequency between
10 a. m. and 4 p. m, in order 10 take
care Of early mailings. A force of
over seventy clerks was transferred
from evening work to day hours TO
secure imm ediste distribution Of the
mail brought in by those frequent
collections, and by early >mailings of
the executive departments and others.
Unless the busin Ass men take more
advantage of the frequent collections
1T would seem a waste Aof time and
money to continue them, and IL is GER
tain that clerks Cannot b. retained
on day hours IL mali is not deposited
and collected for them to. Distribute.
There: are only two vital reasons
why the pcstoffce Is Interested In th :
early mailing movement, but there are
literally dozens Of. important reasons
the business public should respond
to the appeal for early and frequent
mailinss.
The postofice finds il possible to
give far better service on all. mail
matter WHEN a large part OF it is de-
posted in the forenoon and early
afternoon, and is enabled to transfer
large number OF employees from even
ing and night work to daylight hours
when early mailings increase. Those
two features, both detectives OF the
postoffice for many years, are the
principal ones with which II is con-
cerned, but business men should know
that they lose out in many ways. un-
less they insist that their mail be
prepared and deposited at frequent
intervals and as early in the day as
circumstances permit B Glow are
cited few Of the cogent reasons
for early mailings:
Nail trains leave Washington for
all sections of the country at fire.
Quent Intervals throughout the day
Letters ready to go but not mailed
miss ispRtches that would hasten
their delivery.
A fast train for the East leaves
Washington at .. m. and one for
the west at 8 y. N. Very little
advantage is taken OF those i'm
portant trains although the dis
patch of letters by them would
save a full business day In many
instances.
In the forenoon, and early after
noon postofices are practically
clear and mail can be handled very
expeditiously. but between 4 and z
p. m. more than 40 per cent OF the
entire days mailing Is received.
Every postal process through which
mail must pass. then. Of necessity.
consumes more time. Dispatches
are thereby retarded.
Late trains miss important con-
nections.
Late trains arrive at destination
after delivery hours. "a
Competitors may mail early and
thus divert business to their sd-
vantage.
Under artificial light errors In
distribution of mail are more liable