Evening star., 1952-04-27
By Jones 6. Deone

cACcIIcIlt, Ilc SdlO.
Some citizens apparently don't
agree.
Last Monday The Star reported
on some test letters. It took over
"a hours, one test showed, to get
a Chevy Chase letter postmarked
and another IL to get it delivered
The same thing happened else
where. -
Mr.. North ran his own tests, and
found everything hunky- -dory. But
readers reacted quickly.
One told of a letter delayed two
weeks from Philadelphia. Another
cited an Alexandria Washington
special delivery-it took two days
A third entered the bid for top
honors-a week and one day for
three blocks on downtown K
street.
A man in Silver Spring reported
amiably that he got a special
delivery from the District in 2
and three quarters hours. He was
a minute minority. If most other
citizens liked the service, they
didn't say so.
Yesterday Mr.. North was shown
a compilation of the weeks most
specific complaints. Some of these
are printed today. The accompany
ing comments are from Mr.. North,
Postmaster Gordon Bell,
and where appropriate from post
masters in independent suburban
offices.
Mr.. North, incidentally. pointed
out that he could give a conclu-
sive opinion in some cases only
after his own investigation. He
has investigated none Of these
listed.
The complaints and comments
follow:
COmplaint-Mrs. Souren Hanes-
sian. 4100 Military road NV, on
Tuesday. April %. received a let
ter postmarked in Philadelphia
April 8 and in Washington, on the
back, April 81. The letter notified
her Of the birth of her sisters
baby. During the two weeks be-
tween the time it was mailed and
she went to Phila-
delphia, saw the baby and re-
turned.
I'D like to ask the Post Office
how this could happen" she said.
II think it's awful"
Answer-The letter probably was
missent to the wrong Washington
address, kept by the recipient for
a time and then remailed in a let
ter box. Such letters, when re-
ceiyed at the post Office, are re-
on the back. Or the let
ter may have been mishandled in
transit-either here or in Phila-
delphia.
Complaint-Lt. Col. j. w. S.
Of the Pentagon received his
Army pay check for $515
on March 81. He put it in an
addressed to the near
BY Clarendon Trust Co. and
handed it to his secretary, who
mailed it at noon in a postoff1ce
machine on the Penta-
gon concourse. On April 5-five
days later-the check was re-
,eived at the bank. Meanwhile,
three of Col. SIS personal checks
bounced. When Col. S. COM
planned to the Washington post
office about his bouncing checks.
he was told nothing could be done
for 10 days.
They should have done some
thing then" the colonel said.
Answer-There is no rule re-
quiring a Today wait before seek
ing to trace mail. But it would
have been useless to try. Ordinary
mail is very difficult to trace
this could have been one of 500,-
600 pieces being handled in the
city postoffice almost simultane-
ously. 1t might have been mis-
sent in Arlington. There is no
evidence because the envelope
was destroyed.
Computation April IA DR.. J.
NJ, whose Office is in the 1900
block of K street NV, addressed
a business letter to the real
estate firm three blocks down K
street. His secretary ran it through
a postage meter and dropped it in
a letter box on the corner Of Nine
tenth and K. The time was be-
tween $50 and $3.50 pm. On April
22-eight days later-the letter
was received by the addressee in
the morning mail. Both origin and
destination are in Zone 6, which
has three business deliveries daily
"The doctor was calling us all
week to know why he wasn't hear
ing from U.s." said the real estate
man.
Answer-No explanation.
COmplaint-W. A. j., who works
at the Agriculture Department
mails monthly premiums to an in
surance company in the Tower
Building, 1401 K street NV. He
has been doing so for a year and
a half. He uses a return envelope
in which the company's address
shows through a window. His re-
turn address Is in the upper left
corner.
On Sunday. April 13, between
6 and z pm. he dropped his April
in a letter box at Chevy
Chase Circle. At about 10 am
Tuesday. the letter carrier rang
the bell at his home. and handed
him the same envelope. Asked
why. the carrier pointed to the
address in the corner. Mr.. j.
pointed to the address in the win
dow and asked the carrier to re-
mail his letter.
On Wednesday the letter came
back again. Exasperated, Mr.. j.
typed note in red and pasted it
over his return address. The note