Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1888-02-14
goexlNsvII1Es POST oFE1or.
What We Have a Right TO Expect
Under The Postal Laws.
PORTIONS OF THE LAW QUOTED
AND COMMENTED ON.

|
PORTIONS OF THE LAW QUOTED
AND COMMENTED ON.
The citizens of Hopkinsville and
vicinity, who receive their mail from
the post-oflice, must admit, that UNI
der its present management, great
annoyance has been occasioned by
the delivery of mail matter 10 the
wrong persons. There is nothing SO
veXatious as TO receive the mail mat
ter intended for another, and have TO
return it, or 10 have your mail given
to another, keeping you in suspense
while it has 10 go through the post
Office second time before 1t comes
into your possession. When the of
flee was run by the late Jno. Is. Cow
an there was a great deal of com
plant, and it was hoped that IL
would be greatly improved under
the management of Mr.. Mckenzie,
Scarcely day passes without the
mail belonging TO others being put in
the SOUTH KENTUCKIAN's box, as well
as in other boxes, for which careless
ness there seems 10 be but little ex-
cuse. Several years ago when the
post-oflice was run by Mrs. Burbridge
with only Mr.. Lambdin TO assist her,
such was not the case, and now four
persons work in the Office and can
not get the mail matter straight. II
is true Mr.. Mckenzie is not physical
ly able to do much work, and Mr..
Randle devotes most of his time 10
the money-order department, hence
most of the trouble arises from leav-
ing the work to boys who are inefll-
Client. The business men in that part
Of the city where the post-office is
located make up the rent for Mr..
Mckenzie, and this being the case 1t
does seem that he would be better
able to hire efficient clerks, who
would take pains TO have every piece
of mail matter properly placed. A
post-oflice is for the accommodate III
of the people of community, and
! the postmaster when he takes his
oath agrees to properly conduct it.
The Office is closed entirely too
6SElY ~ the evening, and is not kept
requirement Of the law, anEiith the
every postmaster must keep his
post-ofllce open for the dispatch of
business every day, except Sunday
and holidays, during the usual hours
in which the principal business
honsos in the place are kept open,
and attend at such other hours as
may be necessary to receive and dis
patch mails. When the mail
arrives on Sunday, he will keep his
post-oflice open for one hour or more
after the arrival and assortment
thereof, if the public conyen-
fence require it, for the de-
livery of the same only. u
While open, stamps may be sold
to anyone applying for them.
Delivery on Sunday must not be re-
stricted to box holders, but made to
all who call while the Office is open
The office on week days should not
be closed during meal hours. y
Upon holidays post-ofllces must be
open sufficiently to meet fairly the
public convenience"
1t will be noticed that the law is
very explicit and not hard to under
stand. Everyone knows the post-of-
flee is not kept open according to the
above requirements, and more espec-
tally on Sunday.
The law requires the office to be
kept open one hour or more after each |
mail on Sundays, but this is not done
and for what reason we do not know.
When mail matter is thus not prompt |
ly opened we do not see how spec
ial delivery letter would stand any
show at all. The law on Specialize
livery matter says "Postmasters
should therefore, open all mails at
once on their arrival as is required |
by the regulations, and Immediately |
separate the matter bearing special
delivery stamps after which |
1t must be delivered without loss of
time. Like .diligent action must be
given to drop on local matter bearing
special-delivery stamps from the
time it is deposited in the Office"
Should postmaster desire to follow
the law he can not be too particular
about handling the mail. A post
Office kept strictly in accordance with |
the law is what Hopkinsville needs
and what she has right to expect,
and we trust Mr.. Mckenzie will real
ize this fact and exert himself
in this direction. Very few post
masters attach as much inheritance as
is necessary to the handling OF news
papers. The law says: newspapers
and periodicals sent to regular sub
scribers must be promptly dispatched |
to destination. To the addressee such
matter is at least of equal Importance
with letter mail, and it should be
treated with equal care by postal
clerks"
There is one thing that will facili-
tate the opening of mails, and that
Is carrying them from the train TO
the post-oflice in less time than is
now done. The law says the mail
shall bn cari.ied with ucaloritv aud |