Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-25
By jones Waldo Foweett

Postmaster General Arthur
z. Summerfield wants people
to notice the new patriotic
dress Of Post ONCE Depart
ment vehicles. In q formal
press release for publication
July %. he calls attention to
''the red, white and blue mail
trucks" now in circulation and
says that, while important in
themselves" they ARE more
significant as symbol of q
postal revolution that is inn
proving mail service and low
ering costs to American tax
payers"
Some of the new wheeled
equipment has gone into sery-
ice right off the assembly lines. .
Particularly in Ohio and Flor
ida 1854 models now are in
use. The latest types have
right-hand drive arrangements
so that call an operator has
to do is stick his arm out and
put the mail in the box on
the right side of the road and
then drive on" Mr.. Summer
field explains: "Under today's
new program low-cost bodies
used satisfactorily for many
years on milk trucks and other
types of commercial vehicles
are being used on mail trucks"
The postal system owns TO-
600 trucks outright and leases
approximately $1,000 more.
Included in the motor fleet
now undergoing red. white and
blue Transformation are We
hicles ranging from the midget
one-quarter-ton for mount
ed" routes-usually suburban,
with mail boxes at the curb
to giant 20-ton trailers for
transporting bulk mail.
All new motor equipment
bought by the Post Office De-
partment from now on for
ward will be painted red.
white and blue, not only for
patriotic reasons but like
wise for safety FIRST" Such
vehicles. Mr.. Summeraeld
firmly believes. ''are more cas-
lily seen by other drivers and
pedestrians and their use con-
sequently reduces accidents and
saves lives" An added safety
factor is achieved in the red
band by employing phospho-
resent tape with high reflec-
tive qualities at night. White
paint on the upper portions
of the cars and trucks throws
back heat and adds COM
fort and efficiency of en-
ployes working in the vehicles.
Blue paint on the under por-
tions minimizes unsightly
road film very noticeable on
the old olive green trucks.
The patriotic paint costs no
more than any other kind.
Mr.. Summarized adds to his
statement: 'As other evil
dences of this postal revolu-
ton, work improvements are
being made all along the line.
Post offices now are being
supplied with twine-tying ma
chimes, automatic stamp dis
pensers, mail hauling tractors,
lift trucks, portable mail sort
ing conveyors. Mail carriers
now are using golf-club type
caddy carts to wheel the mail
on their routes. New 'snorkep
mail boxes, with chutes in
which letters can be dropped
from the seat of a car, are in
use in major cities. New type
trucks for use by two-man
teams of mail carriers, intro
duced recently in northern
Ohio cities. are expected to
speed up deliveries, eliminate
relay and parcel post de-
liveries by separate vehicles
and frequently pick UP mail
toward the end of the day.
The results of these and
many more developments in
better service and lower costs
are now becoming apparent.
These efficiencies and econo-
mics will be more self-evident
as time goes on, because they
take time to get underway"
OF course, the proof of the
pudding is in the eating there
of. Mr.. Summerfield's rev
olution" certainly seems to
have the effect of adding to
the number of vehicles on the
streets and roads and thus
may SO144PhOdIC Stlli III tiiCI
already complicated traffic
conditions. Stamp collectors
as q class, meanwhile, have
not been happy about the
elimination of thousands of
small. village-type post offices
as a reform" incident to the
program of INFLAMMATION re-
viewed above.
A scent regular postage
stamp, blue In color and show
ing a portrait of President
Theodore Roosevelt may be an
noul1ced shortly.
The new Accent engraved
airmail stamp to be placed on
first-day sale at Philadelphia
on September 3 will be OTIS
by 0.87 inches in size, blue in
STAMPS.
Air Mail Collection