Evening star., 1941-01-26
AMONG THE STAMP COLLECTORS
News of the Phaec World Its Interests Peope-Review
the Stamp PreSs-List of Local Meetings
By James Waldo Fa,pcen.

Announcement of the establish
ment by the Post Office Department
of new Highway Post Office SER
vice has been made by Postmaster
General Frank C. Walker. The
official publicity release says:
Pursuant to legislation passed at
the last session of Congress, which
was approved by the President on
July II, 1910, Mr.. Walker revealed
that the first route to be estab-
lished will be placed in operation
on February 10.
1.-The new Highway Post Office
service is one of the most signifl-
cant developments in the field Of
mail transportation in recent years.
Operated on the same basis as the
Railway Mail Service, the mails will
be carried on large bus-type trucks
completely equipped with all the
facilities for sorting, handling and
dispatch that are included in rail-
way postal cars.
Manned by picked crews of
DOSldl SlCl Nd, JlhSC u Will DlO-
vide increased and faster service
to those areas which formerly were
served by short line and feeder
railroads.
During the past few years. Mr..
Walker pointed out, many railroad
companies have been forced to dis
continue non-prof1table passenger
trains on lines which formerly uti-
lized large numbers of railway
postal cars.
"As a result the Post Office De-
partment has been forced to estab-
lish motorized star route service
which has only partially supplied
the facilities previously enjoyed by
postal patrons when the railway
postal cars were in operation. This
contract operation of motor truck
star routes also failed in many in
stances to provide adequate service
in the exchange of mails at inter-
mediate points.
The route on which Highway
Post Office service is to be inaugu-
rated on February 10, l94l, has been
designated the Washington, D. c.,
and Harrisonburg, Va, Highway
Post Office. This route has been laid
out by way of Middleburg, The Plains
and Straburg to Harrisonburg, dis
tance of approximately 140 miles
one way, on which one round-trip
will be made daily, except Sunday.
This route will provide swift and
efficient mail service to 3 first-class
6 second-claSs, 10 third-class and IA
fourth-class post Offices along the
line of the route.
Letter drops have been installed
on the trucks to be used, in order
that postal patrons may be able
to post letters directly on the truck
during its brief stopover in each Of
the respective communities which
it serves. No stops will be made be-
tween scheduled post Offices, how
ever.
With the various star routes and
connecting lines which will be in
operation in connection with the
new Washington ID. c. and Harri-
sonburg tVa0 Highway Post Office,
advanced mail delivery and service
will be afforded to approximately
l25,000 residents of Arlington. Fair
fax, Loudoun, Fauquier, Warren.
Shenandoah and Rockingham Coun-
ties in Virginia. in addition to which
the new service will also benefit
adjacent areas in West Virginia.
The Postmaster General stated
that two other highway post Office
routes have already been selected,
but announcement relative to the
location and number OF these will
not be made by the Post Office
Department until delivery of the