Evening star., 1939-10-13
5top-and-6o Lights
Control Walters al
Posfmasfers' Dinner
Perfect Synchronizotion
Smoothes Service for
3,548 at TobIes


Smoothes Service for
3,548 at TobIes
You haven't lived until you have
dined with 3,548 postmasters
crammed into one hotel.
Last night they sardined them
into the Mayhower ballroom. its
balcony, the east room, the garden
and the jefferson room. They even
had them packed in the promenade
where athletic statues stood out in
. sea OF tables, trays and plates.
They said it was the largest hotel
dinner ever served in Washington
and probably in the country.
The plans went of with circus
like precision. A bellboy made a bid
for broadcasting job from the ball
cony announcing over his micro
phone the location of the cloakroom
and Kindly check your ticket num-
ber with the charts on both sides of
the lobby"
Firemen Are on Hand.
Five firemen were on hand just in
case and number of police in plain
clothes mingled with the crowd. BY
$50 pm, half an hour after the
scheduled time, the only crowd in
the lobby was few Sidewalk su-
perintendent" taking in the proceed
ings out of curiosity.
The delegates sat by States and
waved napkins when the band
played State songs. Postmaster Gen.
eral Farley joined the uproar for
1.-THE Sidewalks of New York" and
then laid some cash on the line for
q convention picture. Kansas was
identified by How Dry Am" There
was wicked" whistler at one of
the Michigan tables.
OF course, there was the Missouri
Waltz"
Executives Preside at Tables.
First Assistant Postmaster Gen.
eral William w. Howes presided in
the main ballroom, while other
postal executives had charge in each
of the other rooms They were all
connected with a two-Way announc-
ing system. These included Kildroy
P Aldrich, chief post office in
spector; Vincent Miles, post Office
solicitor; William L. Slattery, con-
troller of the post office; Harrison
Parkman, purchasing agent; j. Aus
tin Latimer, Executive Assistant to
the Postmaster General: Jess NJ
Donaldson. Deputy First Assistant
Postmaster General; James Cole,
Deputy Second Assistant Postmaster
General; Roy NJ North, Deputy
Third Assistant Postmaster General,
and Frank Buckley.
Back stage there was real regi-
mentation. A system of timing was
arranged so the 400 walters would
not collide with each other while
performing different chores. En-
frances and exits we're guarded by
red and green stop" and "go" lights
The walters wore different colored
ribbons on their lapels showing what
pantry they were operating out Of.
Schedule Was Memorized.
According to Osgood Roberts of
the Mayfower staff, not only the
cooks and walters, but the executive
staff, the telephone operators and
bellboys all had to memorize the
timing schedule.
After the dessert had been served,
q whole corps of employees cleared
away many of the tables, carrying
them off on their heads
The Postmaster General went on
the air at 1870 pm. and urged upon
the convention economy along lines
laid down by President Roosevelt.
He recited the progress of the de-
partment, defining its. objectives as
certainty, celebrity and courtesy. He
also plugged" the airmail.
Greater Responsibilities.
Referring to recent legislation
under which postmasters have life
tenure during good behavior instead
OF changing with administrations,
Mr.. Farley told them:
II think you understand, how
ever, that this new opportunity car
ries with it new and greater respon-
sibilities."
The United States Post Office and
its people, he said, are the greatest
public service in existence today.
There is no other postal estab-
nshment in the world" he declared,
that in volume or income ap-
proaches the postal service of the
United States"
Then there was a dance and the
final beer and pretzel party given
by Vincent c. Burke, postmaster of
the District, convention host. That
dropped the curtain of the 39th an
nual convention of the National As
sociation of Postmasters.
Two new methods for the pickup
and delivery of airmail without ben
eft of landing fields were demon
strated yesterday afternoon on the
Mall, just south of the new National
Gallery of Art.
Mail was dropped and picked up
from a standard airplane in flight
and an autogiro landed to deliver
the first pouch of letters ever flown
to Washington from the roof of the
Philadelphia Post Office.
The latter letters, whose covers
should be valuable collectors items,
were addressed to the postmasters,
and delivered last night by mail
man in uniform at the banquet.
Plane Skins Over Poles.
The flight pickup and delivery
was demonstrated by Pilot Norman
Rintoul of Morgantown, w. Va, and
Victor Yesulities, a "skymail clerk
Of Harrisburg, w. Vay who help
fly a regular airmail run between
b8 lesser cities of Pennsylvania, West
Virginia, Ohio and Delaware. Many
of the communities served have no
landing fields.
The airplane SKINNED over two
S0-foot steel poles between which
was strung rope bearing a mail
"a {paA - l.