Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-24

year than last, according to w. H. Hay
cock, assistant postmaster. They haven't
filled proportionate increase in the
number Of sacks of mail, but Mr.. Hay
cock thinks that is only an indication
that the gifts are coming in smaller
packages this year. OF the relative
values Of the small and large packages
the postmaster has nothing to say.
Capital folk. according TO Mr. Hay
cock, have sent per cent more sacks
Of mail to their friends out OF town
and In the city than they did last year
big increase.
More Greeting Cards.
From December Is until yesterday the
local post office had handled 4 per cent
more greeting cards and letters than
during the Christmas rush season last
year. Last week 100000 pieces OF
this sort Of mail went through the local
post Office, as against half that number
in normal times.
The volume Of outgoing parcel post
packages was 3 per cent larger this
Christmas than last Christmas, and 2
per cent more packages came into the
city, according to the computation of
dMr. Haycock, made on the basis of mail
sacks handled and not according to the
number Of packages handled.
Five per cent more was spent this
year by the people of the Capital In
sending gifts to their friends.
That the Capitals Christmas stock
ing will overflow even more than these
figures indicate is expected by Mr.. Hay
cock, who reveals that, due. to bad
weather in the West, a great deal OF
mail may have been held up and not
arrived in the Capital in time for de-
livery. A vast amount of Christmas
mail in parcels and letters, comes to
the Capital. and 1t Is thought that much
of this which has been on the way
during the recent bad weather has been
on trains that were held up.
Praises Local Post Offices.
Mr.. Haycock was enthusiastic In his
praise OF the work Of the local post
office this year.
II have been with the Post ONCE
here for ~ years and never in all that
time have seen the Post Office in such
fine shape at the close of holiday rush
mail season. From all the figures 1
can gather. 1t Is to be the biggest and
best Christmas the city has ever seen,
and the Post Office has handled all this
work in great fashion. The postman
has earned his Christmas rest as never
before"
It has taken q vast amount of help
to keep all this mail moving In record
fashion. More than 1000 persons have
been employed, and thereby given a
chance to earn some extra Christmas
money. to help the regular force of the
Post once through the trying time.
The Post once has employed 1913
extra clerks, 756 extra carriers, 90 ex-
ira laborers and Sc extras In the motor
service.
Last Mall Today.
The last mail-that is. the letters and
greeting cardS-goes out of the Post
Once this Afternoon at 2:30 O'Clock.
with some sections getting their finai
deliveries @ little earlier.
The flnal parcel deliveries will be
made until about 6 o'clock tonight,
The Post Once will be closed tight
from midnight tonight until midnight
tomorrow night, none OF the clerks
working and no deliveries being made.
Only staff to handle the malls from
the incoming trains will be kept at
work, and these will have all the in
coming matter In shape for immediate
handling when the force goes back
to work ut midnight tomorrow.