Evening star., 1924-12-10
$1,000 OTOASS|ST
P. 0. HOLIDAY RUSH
Local Office, With Rest of
! Country, Equipped to
| Handle Christmas Mail.

HdnQie christmas Wall.
While an army of about $4,000 spe-
ciaI employees is being mustered to
handle the flood Of Christmas mail
throughout the country, the Wash
ington City Post Office announced to-
day 1t had about completed its plans
to cope with the deluge of packages
and letters, the peak of which is ex-
pected to be reached the 18th or 10th.
In response to the constant appeal
addressed to the public from every
quarter to SHOP Early-Mail Early"
Postmaster william NJ. Mooney de-
clared today the volume of mail pass
ing through the post office at present
is heavier than last year at the same
period. This fact causes the estimate
regarding the peak of the mail to be
moved forward a day or two as COM
pared with 1923.
No actual figures could be given at
present as to the number of extra
employees to be drafted into the
Christmas mail rush here, because
the volume that will move through
the office, both incoming and out
going, has not yet been deter
mined. 1t was be lieved, however, that
the regular carrier force OF about 420
400 and an equal number of clerks
would be added to the present force
of $50.
Effective Tuesday. December IS,
and continuing until December %, the
following branch and substations
will remain open daily until pm
10 assist the public in expediting it's
Christmas mail: Anacostia, Argyle.
Mount Pleasant street and Park road !;
III Tn1, ,t>i
cut avenue, Decatur street; Florida
avenue. Fourteenth street; Northeast,
Park Road, Southeast, Southwest,
TruXton. L street, West End and
"oodley Road, the latter in the drug
store of the Wardman Park Hotel.
Station Hours Designated.
The following suburban and special
stations, however, will observe the
regular closing hours of pm. from
I've 10th TO the 23d: Brightwood.
<klevy Chase. Clarendon. + street, in
Ghe Land Office Building; Friendship,
8 street, in Woodward and Lothrop's;
~ street. at Eighth and II streets
northeast (this station will remain
open until 9 pm. December 20);
Navy, in the Navy Building; George
town: Pennsylvania avenue, in the
Post Office Department, st. James,
street In Goldenberg's, and Treasury
in the Treasury Building. The time
OF closing of the Takoma Park and
woodbridge stations is optional with
the superintendent
The Central station on Fourteenth
street will remain open until II pm
during this period
The following stations will be open
sunday. December p: Central. to IL
pm; Columbia road, to pm:
Connecticut avenue, to. 8 pm:
Florida avenue. to S pm; North
east, to pm; Park road, TO s
pm; Southeast. . to s pm; South
west, to S pm; u street, to
pm, and West End, to 8 pm
The day before Christmas. the regu-
lar hours as observed before the hoIi-
days VIII obtain, because postal Of
tctals believe there will not be a
suf1cient volume of mail to warrant
later hours.
12-Hour Shift in Sight.
Every employe in the City Post
Office is aware that he will soon go
on 12-hour shift and is facing the
Srueling days cheerfuIly. The car
rier also is looking forward to eat
ing his Christmas dinner with his
FAMILY for on that day there will be
only one delivery-a partial delivery
IN fact, because the post office closes
1T II am.
For the convenience of those who
contemplate sending gifts out of
town, Postmaster Mooney has pre-
pared a mailing schedule, which if
followed to the letter will benefit the
sender, the receiver, the parcel and
the postal employees.
The schedule follows: California
and the Far West, mail not later
than Saturday: Southwest, Saturday:
Illinois, Iowa and other States of the
Middle West, Monday, December Is;
Southern States. Tuesday, December
1S; Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky.
Wednesday, Decent ber II; New En-
gland States, Thursday, December
Is; New York. Pennsylvania and New
Jersey, Friday, December 19; Vir-
ginia, Maryland, West Virginia,
North Carolina, Saturday, December
20, and Washington, D. c., Saturday,
December 90.
Packages Bear Christmas Seals.
VirAally every other package re-
ceived at the City Post Office today
for dispatch bore Christmas seals or
notices not to open until Christmas
These packages, by being early, will
be assured OF delivery, while, If
timed by the sender to be delivered
Christmas morning. they stand little
chance of reaching their destination
at that time. Packages cannot be
handled with gloves nor will they
be Intentionally rough-handled, post
al officials explain, but If they are
carefully and securely wrapped no
harm will befall them. Small par
cells, such as jewelry, should be sent
hrst-class registered mail. Money
should be sent by money order.
Christmas cards should not be held
up to the last minute, because in the
past the post office has been flooded
with cards, and the burden OF distri-
button is greatly increased Mr..
Mooney suggests that all Christmas
cards be committed to the mails be-
rEaan naccrrn he, L