Evening star., 1940-02-05
Non-Combutunts Lose
In Nearby Conflict
Innocent Bystonder Submits
Report on Wordy Bottle
Of Springfield Rood
To the Editor of The Star:

sNSSS
To the Editor Of The Star:
The big snow of January has come
but not gone, and the rural boxholders
of nearby Virginia are still at battle
stations; battling not the snow but the
post Office bureaucracy and its page
upon page of rules and regulations.
The famed quotation, engraved in
everlasting stone on the noble facade
| of the post Office in new York City,
Neither rain, nor snow, nor heat, nor
| gloom of night stays these couriers from
the swift completion Of their appointed
rounds" seems not to apply south of the
Mason Dixon Line
Because other rural boxholders, par
ticularly those served from Alexandria,
| may be having similar troubles 1t seems
| desirable to cite chapter and verse on
| the battle of Springfield road, AMMAN
dale, Va, AID. 1910.
The locale: The snow-e -encrusted one
lane highway known as Springfield road
meandering from Annandale, through
Accotink to Pohick Church on the Rich
mond highway.
The scene: Mail box of the UNDER
signed, located three-quarters of mile
from Annandale.
The actors: Post Office Department Of
United States Government, villain ex
oficio. The R. F.. D. carrier, first william.
The Alexandria postmaster, Williams as
sistant. Assistant Postmaster General
in charge of rural delivery, the great
mediator. Alice, wife of the under
signed, heroine. Minor roles and sound
effects, Highway Department of Fair
| fax County and the C. g. p Telephone
| Co.
The battle opens in blizzard, like
| those of Finland amidst swirling snow.
| Snowplows chug through the night
clearing a path down Springfield road.
In the morning the one-lane highway is
opened and the first william (see cast of
characterS makes mail delivery, which
heroine receives in gratitude.
Due to a bowling wind great drifts
pile up on the road during the day, and
in front of the heroine's house the road
is filed four feet deep. A second round
with the snowplows opens lane on the
far side of the road, which leaves the
heroine's mail box, four feet of the lane
of travel Villain ! delivers mail the
next day but also curt note, Clean of
snow in front of box or call for mail in
Alexandria,
The heroine is aghast, remembering
post office slogan, but trudges through
drifts to highway with shovel to see
what can be done Makes mental meas
urements of drift and computes weight
of snow requiring removal on post Office
order.
Comes up with answer of two tons and
begins offensive in battle. From futile
efforts of next-door neighbor with viii
lian's assistant (see cast of characters
realizes useless to call Alexandria post
Office to see what can be done
With aid of. telephone company heroine
enters telephone labyrinth known as
Post Office Department in Washington.
In best tradition this villain ex oficio
applies familiar form of mental torture
heroine persists, however, and finally
reaches Assistant Postmaster General
in charge of rural delivery
The A. P. o. G.. at first takes role of
williams backer-up. Starts citing rules
and regulations: 81. There shall be no
distractions in front of mail box. q
The carrier shall not leave his vehicle
to make deliveries"
Heroine disposes of citation by
showing that the snow is an "act of
God' for which she personally cannot
be responsible. And she answers 2 by
showing that the nearest houses are oc-
cupied only by women at time of mail
delivery and that carrier has only to
walk 4 feet anyway
The A. P. o. G. then counters with
fact that If carrier had to stop at every
box and get out it would take him all
day to complete his rounds Heroine
comes back with snappy: Isn't that too
bad? It's tough to work all day for a
days pay"
On further threats by heroine to go
still farther to Jim Farley, the A. P. o.
G. asks for compromise suggestions.
Heroine suggests carrier blow whistle
when he has mail and that she will walk
$50 feet to save him walking four feet
Big-hearted Post Office Department
agrees $50 feet for four feet is a good
compromise and promises to notify post
master in Alexandria.
The postmaster (cast as villains
helper) calls heroine about going over
his head" Heroine talks back and lis
teners on the rural telephone line get
enjoyable, juicy earful, setting new high
for the year. 1t is finally agreed that
the carrier (villain) will blow his whistle.
Next morning carrier blows whistle,
heroine rushes out and receives, along
with mail, lecture on post Office
regulations from which the carrier starts
reading. Carrier finishes with another
threat of no more deliveries.
Since this is the point at which we all
came in I shall close this letter. A
thaw is coming and it is probable that
eventually both the heroine and the
villain will win. The heroine because
she won't shovel snow and the P. O.
because 1t won't deliver the mail. The
main losers, one may suspect, will be
the stores trying to reach the UNDER
signed with monthly bills.
ROBERT D. POTTER.