The Daily Alaska Empire

Mail Pick-up to Begin in October, Says Postmaster

It was announced today by Postmaster Crystal Jenne that Juneau will have pick-up mail delivery service beginning in October. Ten boxes will be placed in the business districts and neighborhood areas and mail will be delivered to the central post office. In the business districts, there will be a morning and afternoon pick-up service while neighborhood boxes will be emptied once a day.

The Femmer Transfer Company was low bidder for the contract to provide a vehicle for use of the post office department. Femmer's bid was tentatively accepted pending final decision from Washington, D. C. Three other bids were also submitted.

Bid Five Times

Because of U. S. Post Office regulations which establish a maximum rate that postmaster could pay for vehicle rentals, Mrs. Jenne stated that bids were advertised five times before an acceptable one was received. On the last bid, the Postmaster General said that regulations would be waived for Alaska and that the lowest bid would be acceptable even if it exceeded the maximum rate of 90 cents an hour.

The company renting the vehicle, which will be driven by a post office employee, must also provide gasoline and oil and take care of the maintenance. The car will also be used for special delivery service.

Home Delivery Sought

Mrs. Jenne recently received a letter from Delegate E. L. Bartlett stating that he had requested that the post office department inaugurate home delivery service in Fairbanks, Ketchikan and Juneau. Anchorage is the first and only city in Alaska to have home mail delivery and the service started there on September 6. In a letter to Bartlett, Joseph J. Lawler, assistant postmaster general stated that an investigation would be made in Juneau, Fairbanks and Ketchikan on the need of home delivery service.