Evening star., 1952-04-27
Some Citizens Don't Agree District Mail Service Excellent


day the package arrived. After
| the failure to deliver, a messenger
would have been sent back if
Mrs. Troth had so requested.
COmplaint-H. F. of Alexandria
mailed an oversize special de-
livery letter at the Alexandria
postoffice at am. April 7. He
paid 38 cents postage. The en-
velope was postmarked at 8 pm.
1t was postmarked received" in
Washington at / a.m.-five hours
later. But the Capitol City En-
craving Co., 1915 H street NV,
didn't receive it until the morn
ing Of April 8. It came in the
regular mail.
AnSwer-It should have been
delivered April by a special de-
livery messenger on his regular
7 am. run. If too large to go
through the mail slot, and the
firm was not open. it might have
been returned to the poStoffice
and notice left to call for it.
(But no notice was left, according
to the flrm.)
Complaint-C. o. of Bethesda
mailed a letter to his daughter
from the Bethesda Branch post
office on the morning of April IA.
It was delivered the afternoon of
April Is. Mr.. O.'s daughters home
is about four blocks from the post
office. When he asked an explain
alton. he was told:
well. we need another clerk"
Answer-All mail collected in
Bethesda is taken to the Wash
ington postoff1ce to be cancelled
and dispatched. This letter was
returned to the Bethesda station
and delivered from there. 1t
should have been delivered the
next day.
COmplaint-An important letter
to Mrs. w. c. of Parkfairfax,
Alexandria. was mailed April Is
at the Bond Building, Fourteenth
street and New York avenue NV.
It was postmarked at $50 pm.
The w. CS, who rent a branch
postoffice box, looked for it every
day. They received it at 4 pm.
April 18.
1--WE changed to a poStoff1ce box
when they cut out the second de-
livery two years ago." Mrs. C. ex-
planned, adding: We've been hav-
ing awful service. We always al
low 48 hours for anything from
Washington"
Answer-The letter should have
been delivered to the Parkfairfax
station the next morning. II it
didn't arrive then. there are two
more deliveries daily to that sta
ton. Box patrons receive mail
three times daily.
Alexandria Postmaster Elmore
Mudd has had complaints about
slow service from Washington.
But it should not take 48 hours.
he emphasized. Most mail, he was
sure, doesn't.
COmplaint-Mrs. I. L. of West
Leland street, Chevy Chase, Md,
was expecting a special delivery
letter mailed at Virginia Beach,
Va, April IT. When it didn't ar
rive, she telephoned the sender
and duplicate was mailed. The
duplicate arrived in the Washing
ton Post office in IA hours. But
when the postman brought it to
Mrs. LIS house he left it in the
mailbox outside. Mrs. L. found it
accidentally at 9 am.
1.-The doorbell didn't ring" Mrs.
IL. said. Il thought they were sup
posed to deliver it in person"
The first letter, she added, still
hasn't arrived.
Mrs. L. also had bad luck with a
package last Christmas. Mailed
at Beach City, Ohio, on December
20, it was handed to her at the
post office January 20. 1t was
Swiss cheese, she said, and no
longer edible.
Answer-A special delivery mes
senger no longer is required to
deliver letters in person. This
practice was discontinued some
years ago. But he should have
rung the doorbell and knocked on
the door. He also should have
left a notice under the door in
forming Mrs. L. that the letter
was in her mailbox.
The postmaster says parcel post
deliveries were good last Christ
mas.
COmplaint-The Security Mu-
!tual Life Insurance Co. on April
8 sent. f1rst-class advertising let
ters to two Silver Spring ad-
dresses-10416 Hebard street and
10414 Ewell avenue. Both were
returned marked mo such street,
return to writer for better ad-
dress" On a recheck, it was
found the address should have
been Kensington, Md, After a
two-week lapse, the letters were
remailed. Salesman Harry Med
ermayer said:
"Silver Spring and Kensington
adjoin each other. It was just a
matter Of a few blocks. It's rather
, aggravating no attempt was made
. to find out whether there's such
an existing street
Answer-The post Office will
verify mailing lists for a fee of
cent per address for Is addresses
and over. Many firms use this
service regularly, and it could
have been done in this case.
Formerly. en- attempt would have
been to correct these letters. But
directory service on most mail
was discontinued two years ago.
These streets are some distance
from Silver Spring, and Silver
Spring carriers can't be expected
to know them.
COmplaint-On Good Friday. en-
route out of town for Easter week