Evening star., 1922-12-14
FIGHT MAIL T|E-UP
|NCHR|STMASR RUSH

Afraid OF a great tie-up i'll parcels
post movements throughout the coun-
try next week. Post Office Depart
preparations to aTert any serious de-
lay in handling the mails.
Elaborate plans made by the de-
partment for the use of box cars and
refrigerator cars in handling the
greatest parcels post holiday business
in the history of the country are be-
ing frustrated. it was declared at the
department today, through delays in
the arrival of trains and the failure
of the railroads to furnish readily the
necessary cars at desired points.
Late trains are creating shortages
fof equipment it was stated. these
delays resulting in the loss Of the
utilization Of hundreds of cars for
many hours.
A freeze.up at any Of the larger
terminal freight yards. or bad snow
next week would make matters de-
cidedly bad. officials say. Already
many complaints of delay in daily
delivery of the regular mails are beg
ing received here.
SVHVuutVS JkSEuVtCus
This is due to the failure of trains
throughout the country to run on
schedule time according to an Off
cial statement by the Post Office De-
partment.
Many trains are arriving at their
destinations from three to eight hours
late. Important connections at ter
minalS where mails are transferred
to other roads are failing, this pre-
venting the transfer of mail. pouche S
destined for distant points and caus-
ing delays all along the line.
The trouble being experienced by
the postal service is not confined to
any particular road or locality, but
has become quite general, officials
said
On one road operating out of New
York an important mail train missed
connections no less than eight times
within the last month, delaying the
delivery of mails in certain industrial
centers as much as twentyfour
hours.
Despite this situation the Post Office
Department is making. strenuous ef-
forts to get the malls delivered reg
ularly, as we'll as to handle the holi-
day parcel post traffic. which is now
flowing in great volume.
Unless bad, storms occur, between
now and Christmas. officials hope
that serious congestion will be avoid
ed, altnOuSn QelayS Will continue un-
til transportation conditions improve.
Past experience" said Postmaster
General Work today, i'm discussing
the situation. show that December
19 is ordinarily the peak day in the
Christmas mailing. The public can
help the department and themselves
by spreading this peak over several
days and by mailing early and often" "
Smooth at Union Station.
officials in the office of A. A. Fisher,
superintendent of the third division,
railway mail service, with headquar-
ters at Union station, declared today
that the mails are moving smoothly
there with no material delay as yet.
No congestion was apparent at the
tenminal today. The only train COM
ing in at all late recently has been
the 1850 am. Pennsylvania train from
New York, which carries all the news
papers from the north. it was declar-
ed, This train has been late occasion
ally.
Mail trains are running normally,
as far as the Washington city post
office is concerned, Clarence Schooley,
superintendent of mails. declared to-
day. No congestion has been met at
all so far, he said.
A terminal has been opened in the
concourse at Union, station. and par
cells are first cleared through this
office before being taken onto the
trains and, preliminary to taking
them into the post offlce after they
are taken of the incoming trains.