Evening star., 1952-04-28
By jones G. Deone

BY jones g. Deone
Postmaster Roy M. North pre-
Ifers to have citizens complain
about mail service to him-not tt
newspapers.
IF they'll make their complaint!
to me, we'll be glad to investi'
gate" he said.
But a number of citizens in thu
last few days have complained tt
The Star.
Some Of these complaints were
printed yesterday. Today, Tht
Star publishes some more. AL
came in unsolicited, by telephone
Fand mail. They were then re.
ported to Mr.. North, Assistant
Postmaster Gordon Bell or sub
urban postmasterS.
Their answers accompany the
complaints.
Edward L. Blincoe. 2121 H street
NV. has had more than his share
of bad luck.
Complaint-Last September "a
at National Airport Mr.. Blincoe
mailed some urgent papers to New
York City. The letter went air.
mail special delivery and was
IpoStmarked 2 pm. The New York
General Post Office received it at
7:30. A substation postmarked 1t
at midnight. In the morning a
'postman tried to deliver it, but
the addressee had started back to
Washington. The letter eventu-
ally followed him back.
Answer-New York should have
received the letter sooner, and it
should have been delivered that
evening. But the last special de-
livery trip in most cities is around
10 pm. Under the circumstances,
the letter couldn't be sent out until
morning.
Complaint - Not long after
ward Mr.. Blincoe mailed some
maps first class-special delivery
to Wilmington, Del. They were
mailed at the West End Station
Monday afternoon. They were
received Friday afternoon-when
they were no longer any use.
Answer-There is no explana-
ton. The delay probably wasn't
in Washington.
Complaint "A bundle of maps
was sent to Mr.. Blincoe by the
Army map service first class on
a Thursday. On the next Tues
day, the maps still being un-
delivered, Mr.. Blincoe asked for
a tracer. On Thursday. he asked
for. a duplicate set. The latter
arrived the next day. The first
set showed up a week later in a
branch postal station. A carrier
had put it aside, he was told, be-
cause he thought it was too heavy
to carry. Everybody forgot it.
Answer Carriers deliver only
very small packages such as neck
ties and handkerchiefs. All the
rest are handled by parcel post
trucks, regardless Of weight. The
parcel shouldn't have been for
gotten.
COmplaint-Last June 20 Mr..
Blincoe'S secretary airmailed two
letters to Sacramento, Calf. One
was an application to the Real
Estate Commission, the other an
application to the Contractors
License Board. A money order
was inclosed with each.
The Real Estate Commission
received its letter the next day.
The one to the License Board ar
rived several days later, post
parked not Washington but Ar
lington. Va. and not June 20 but
July l. The postmark deadline
for Mr.. Blincoe's application was
June 80. He almost was denied
a license renewal as q result.
Mr.. Blincoe complained to the
Post Office Department that q
postal inspector told license au.
thorities he probably failed to
mail the letter promptly and was
endeavoring "to put something
over" Postal officials denied this.
Arlington Postmaster c. F..
Simpson in a letter to Mr.. Blin-
coe stated: 49, &c
Frequently. uncanceled letters
from other post Offices arrive at
this Office, although intended for
delivery in another city. This
usually is caused by letters being
stuck together and it is reason
able to believe that it happened
in this case"
Washington Postmaster Roy M.
North concurred.
Answer-There is no positive
explanation.
Complaint-A. Edward Hard
man, 1910 North Stuart street,
Arlington. said this Is evidence of
what he termed "our Snail Mail
Service:
There is a mail plane leaving
London, Ontario. Canada. about
$50 am. It arrives at Toronto
and leaves there at 1920 am