New Uim Threatened With

Discontinuance of Duties of Night Clerk at Post Office.

——–

PETITION CONG, CLAGUE INTERVENE WITH DEPT.

——–

Service Originally Installed in 1902 and Has Been Greatly Beneficial. Lobby Open at All Hours.

——–

Postmaster Lewis B. Krook has received an order from the post office department instructing him to discontinue night service at the local post office at once. He immediately took up the matter with the department and requested that the order be held in abeyance until January 15. He also requested a reconsideration of the order, and hopes it will be possible there will be no change in regard to this service as it is a real convenience to the public.

Petition Congressman

Congressman Clague has been petitioned by the New Ulm Commercial club, through its president, J. A. Kennedy, and a large number of businessmen of the city to use his influence with the post office department to set aside the order.

Close Lobby at 10 O’Clock

In the event the order is not rescinded and becomes effective the lobby in the local federal building will be closed at 10 o’clock in the evening and will not be opened again until probably between 6 and 7 o’clock in the morning. At the present time persons so desiring can deposit mail during the night and it is dispatched upon the early morning trains. In the event there is no night clerk and the lobby is closed, mail matter cannot be deposited in the local post office after 10 o’clock in the evening. A wait will have to be made until the following morning and a loss in time thereby entailed.

Of Long Standing

The threatened discontinuance of clerk service at the post office during the night is of long standing. Shortly after Postmaster Krook entered upon his duties, he was informed by an inspector that the night clerk service would be discontinued. Last May two inspectors were in New Ulm and after making an investigation made a report to Washington recommending the discontinuance of the night service. The order recently received by Postmaster Krook is a result.

Established in 1902

Mr. Krook states that the night service was established in 1902 at his behest. A request for permission to place a clerk on duty at the local post office during the night hours, was made by Mr. Krook upon three different occasions and as many times turned down by the department. Finally an inspector was sent to New Ulm and remained here two days and gave the matter a thorough investigation. At the completion of his work he recommended night service for the local post office and the public has since enjoyed the convenience and the benefits derived therefrom.

Policy of Economy

It is taken for granted that the order to eliminate the nigh service at the local post office is the result of a desire to economize. It is well known that the convenience of night service is enjoyed by but few communities. The discontinuance of the service here would have a tendency to congest the work of mail distribution into the working hours of the day, while at the present time the incoming mail received on the night trains is distributed during the night. Outgoing mail is also dispatched during the night. Clerks would be required to go on dusty earlier in the morning to expedite distribution of mail.

Brown County Journal,

December 4, 1925

————————