Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-12-19
HOLIDAY RUSH
ATP. 0. KEEPS
Line WAITING
Clerk and Carrier Force En-
larged to Meet Need of
Season.

The Christmas rush on the post
office opened Monday morning when
the double lines to the parcel post
windows formed before the arrival of
the clerks at 8 o'clock. The lines in
creased as persons started to arrive
on their way to work in offices and
stores Of the city. and up until clos
ing time between so and 60 persons
were waiting all of the time.
The opening OIL ,the seasonal rush
on the parcel post is at least two or
three days in advance OF that of last
year, according to Postmaster Clus-
ton. This early mailing will proba-
bly, result in less congestion during
the last two or three days than has
previously been the case, with the
result that better service will be
+, given.
To facilitate the handling of incom-
ing parcels, an additional parcel post
window has been opened and a staff
Of eight clerks employed to handle
this work. -Four clerks are posted
at each window and each has a work
to do. The first clerk rates the
packages according to the weight
the destination and the amount of
! postage due. The second affixes the
stamps and the two remaining clerks
attend to the insurance of the pack
ages. 1t keeps two clerks busy
wheeling away the packages in mail
baskets.
Nearly All Parceiss insured
In one way the work is heavier
than in former years for virtually
everyone insures their packages now,
NJ H. ,l.n4nn -a,I and %lic, rnnIyaS
much additional work and slows the
handling in making out receipts, even
though two clerks are o. this work
at each window.
From the parcel post windows, the
nackages are wheeled to the distribut-
ing tables, where they are thrown
into the mail bags in accordance with
their destination. None of the out
going parcels are allowed to pile up
and all leave the office the ann
day they are mailed. ~
When the incoming parcels, already
beginning to mount higher in receipts,
as detailed a system of handling is
used. Two tempora~r distributing
racks have been installed in addition
to those already in place and clerks
are sbusy PLACING the packages ready
for the carriers.
Like the packages mailed, the IN
coming parcels are kept moving all
Of the time and are not allowed to
remain in the postoffice, but are hur-
ried to the carriers and their des-
tinations in the city. An extra truck
was placed on. duty Monday to aid
in deliveries.
Were the packages allowed to col
lect even for a short time in the of
flee it would be quickly choked up
with receipts so that he orderly
movement of mails would be impossi-
BILE, Mr.. Cluston pointed out. For
this reason, extra clerks are placed
on duty as fast as the receipts be-
come too heavy for the staff.
Some Without Street Address
Parcels that have no street address
find their way to a special rack in
the postoffice. where they are filed
by number and the postcard notice
is then sent to the person to whom
they are addressed. A number is
placed on the notice ana during the
Christmas season it is essential that
this card be brought to the p~ostoffice
to obtain the package. The number
BILE to go through them to find any
certain parcel, Mr.. Cluston pointed
out. When the card is brought, the
clerk can find the package instantly
by number.
The number of Christmas cards is
about the same as in other years, Mr..
Cluston said. There are fewer of
thee tinseled cards than in former
years, since they have now been
banned from the mails for some time.
There are still a few that appear
in the mail and these are picked out
by the clerks and when the name is
given returned to the sender.
If the present early mailing centin-
ues, there will be little difficulty with
Christmas parcels this year, Nj. Clus-
ton said. The unusually heavy mail
ing Monday was said to be due to the
fact that SO many of the persons
wrapped their parcels Sunday and had
them ready to mail next morning.
~