Chicago world. (Chicago, Ill.) 1918-????, 1948-12-11
Milwaukee Post
Office Urges Early
Package Mailing

Northumberland, in fact the
entire country, is facing an ex-
nelly serious mail problem
THIS christmas Season." posi-
, master John A. tleissner stated
Saturday. mot only is mail vol
ume expected to break all pre-
vious records, but relatively
greater handicaps will have to
be overcome" the Postmaster
observed.
TIC begin with, mail volume
since the war has increased be-
yond the widest anticipation Of
any postal expert. Day by day
during the past three ears, the
volume average OF the different
classes of mail runs decidedly
heavier than at the peak Of any
holiday rush before the war" AS
an example, Postmaster Fleiss-
ner cites the fact that in the late
thirties Milwaukee post office
stamp sales ranged between four
million and five million dollars,
and this year are expected to go
to eleven million dollars. Out
going parcel-post dispatches just
before the war normally averaged
$500 sacks per DAY, with a high
peak of 1900 sacks during the
holiday rush. This year the nor
NAL daily average dispatch is
$500 sacks, and a peak~of $4,000
sacks is expected during the i'm
pending pre-holiday period. Mr..
F1essner adds that firSt-claSS
mail, newspaper and magazine
mail, and, in fact, all other postal
activities have jumped in similar
proportions.
Postal facilities are not in
position to absorb the holiday.
overload. There has been no post
office building program since
sometime before the war; the
Postmaster pointed out, "and
post offices throughout the coun-
try are generally too small to
handle the vastly increased nor
NAL mail plus a terrific holiday
mail on top Of that. Milwaukee,
for instance, was deemed as need
ing an entirely new post office as
far back aus 1885," Mr.. Fleissner
reminded. cat that time the pro-
Ject advanced to point where
Milwaukee was reputedly No. 8
on a list eing considered by Con-
gress fox new post office struc-
lures. The war was then respn NJ
sible for canceling the er NE
program. The Post Office De
partment has not ct been auth
orized to resume the. building OF
new post offices, and probably
viii not until the housing short
age throughout the country has
been at least reasonably relleV-
ed
THUS while the Milwaukee
post office has been subbessful
IN recruiting as many additional
temporary workers as can be utll-
lied, yet lack a space will as
suredly make prompt mail handl-
ing Impossible. There just isn't
loom enough to hold too many
temporary employees and too
much mail at the same time.
Even at this time-before the
Christmas rush has started, mail
dispatches and arrivals must be
handled across the East Mich
gan and North Jeffesson st. side
walks adjoining the main post Of
lice building, so that commercial
trucks can better be accommodate
ed at the regular post office I'M
loading platforms. Conditions like
this are general throughout the
entire country" Postmaster
Fleissner observed, ''and, addi-
tionally, there is a very serious
shortage of railway postal cars
and post office mail trucks MI.
Fleissner adds that he has re-
cruited approximately $500 tenn
porary workers to assist Mil
Yankees 1920 postal employees
for the rush period.
/ Summing up the entire situa-
ton, the Postmaster warns that
what the Postal Service needs
most urgently at this time is
materially more time to handle
the Christmas mails. Tasks that
ordinarily would require a day
or so will need a week or more
during the holiday period-and
great deal longer if congestion
develops. M. Fleissner pleads
urgntly that mailing Of both
Christmas greetings and parcels
to the eastern, western, and
southern States be completed be-
fore December 10, and all other
holiday mail, including local, be-
fore December Is.