The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-07-27
tFrom Wednesdays Daily.)
THE BUTTE ~POsTOFFICE.
complaints Of the Public NJ Present
Management.

Management.
Inc complaints about the manner in which
thls institution is conducted are becoming so
loud and so general that we feel we should
oe renlss in our duty as a public journalist
were we longer to defer an expression of the
dissatisfaction SO universally entertained and
openly expressed. The causes of complaint
are manifold; but the principal, and one that
must certainly be admitted to be a crying
abuse, is the fact that under the present regu-
latlons a very large and respectable portion
OF the community are practically debarred
from deriving any benefit whatever from the
government postal service. The postof1ice is
opened at s a. m; closed at 6 p. m, or pre-
cisely the hours that would have been Sc.
lected II the intention were purposely to
deprive miners and others who earn a living
in occupations where regular hours are OBJ
served, OF any chance Of deriving the least
benefit from the postotfice conducted at the
publicexpense and forthe public convenience.
Workmen in the mines, mills, and else where
go TO work at seven in The morning and quit
at six in the evening. Thus on week days
they have no possible access to the office,
whereas on Sunday the general delivery,
opened for only one hour, is besieged by so
enormous u throng that for anyone arriving
after the queue has been formed the chance
of reaching the window may we'll seem a
disheartening undertaking. According to
the regulations the office is supposed to re-
main open during the interval mentioned
that is, from 8 to q; but practically the gen
eral delivery is usually closed for the day at
a little after ) O'Clock in the evening. The
overland coach generally arrives at that time
and upon receipt of the eastern mails the
office is closed for distribution, a task usually
extending until 6 O'Clock, alter which the gen.
eral delivery window is never opened, under
any circumstances whatever. 1t will be un-
derstood then that the office is managed as il
the intention were to debar the working
classes from any share whatever in the public
postal facilities. Instead of this. if the man
agement Of a public office is regulated with
a view to the convenience of any class, ii
should be the working men. Professional
men and business men are under no restraint
in the matter of their hours Of duty. They
can go to the office at one time during the day
as well as another. 1t is only the men who
are working for wages that are under any
constraint in this respect, and in a place like
l Butte, where this class forms so large and sc
l respectable u portion of the community, i
! really seems as if their convenience ought tt
! be consulted. We are quite well aware thai
I the management of the office is within the
letter of the general instructions issued by
: the department. But We take it for granted
: that a postofice is established and conducted
e for public convenience, and if this Is so theI
. the general instructions should be departed
from when, as in this case, they are produc
4 tive of all immense amount Of inconvenience
Another thing complained of is the prac
tice of locking the outside door at time
. when it might as well be open, thus exclud
ing the owners Of lock boxes from access t
their %high-priced mail receptacles. And the
there is the insufliciencncy of room becaus
so much space is taken up by the counte
y of the variety store. Some time ago th
question was mooted Of depriving Well
u & Fargo Co. of their mail privilege; but
cali be said in favor of thisc company that the
invariably treat their patrons with courtesy
and never turn their establishments into
y peanut stand to the annoyance and inconyer
y fence of hose wishing to transact business
not buy goods in the office. On Sunday
y when our postofice opens for all hour, tn
owners of boxes throng into the buildin:
only to be crowded and jammed into Il LA
row aIleyway between the box frontage an
the peanut stand aforesaid, to the imlninei
peril of the religious impressions receive
during morning service.
Owing to the above enumerated causes
dissatisfaction it is proposed, unless a chang
be speedily made, to draw up a petition All
forward it TO headquarters asking for a chans
in the incumbency Of the Butte postmaSte
- slip. Judging from the public temper "
are Of opinion that such Il petition would |
: very generally signed by all classes and
. members of every political pallH.
d
ID MIsSOUG.A COUNTY.