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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, March 23, 1993                   TAG: 9303230140
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Short

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POSTAL SERVICE BEGINS USING NEW BAR CODES

Many of the letters arriving in America's mailboxes Monday had longer codes printed below the address - an effort to speed sorting by automation.

The new bar codes, a series of long and short lines like the codes on food and other product, permit machines to sort business mail down to the letter carrier's route.

In addition to the 5-digit ZIP code, the new bar codes will include four digits for speed sorting and two additional digits for a carrier's route. For the first, time the letters also will carry a printed version of the code for sorting by hand if necessary. - Associated Press

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