Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-01-14
THE POSTOFFICE.
Tenders Invited for a Suit
able Building.
THE PRESENT SITUATION.
An Increase of the Staff and Better
Accommodations Urgently
Needed.

The present quarters occupied by
the Postoffice Department have proved
so totally inadequate that it has been
decided to move into another and
more suitable building as soon as the
desired accommodation can be OBJ
tanned. For this purpose, tenders
were invited, returnable on Thursday
last, and with view OF ascertaining
what proposals had been made, a
HERALD reporter called at Mr.. Preuss'
office yesterday afternoon. He found
that gentleman hard at work, as usu-
al, and was subsequently introduced
to the Postoffice Inspector, through
whose hands all applications must
pass. An inquiry by the scribe as to
what offers had been made elected
the following reply: awe are not to
make public the proposals we have
received, and all | can tell you is that
several tenders have been sent in,
though not so many as we would
wish. With view to having wider
range for selection, we have decided
to extend the time for re-
ceiving applications till to-mor-
row Saturday at 2 P. NJ. I wish
therefore that you would make a
statement to that effect in your paper.
The building we will require will ne
cessarily be large one, with sur
face area of not less than $4,000
square feet. AS regards the present
quarters, it is absolutely impossible
to attempt to do the work, handi-
capped as we are for want of room, in
addition to our other lack of facilities.
The working staff should be increased
to at least forty, not counting the car
riers. At the present time
there are thirty-one names on
the roll, five of whom are
only engaged temporarily and
subject to dismissal at any moment
In short time it will also be neces-
sary to engage five or six more foot
carriers and also another mounted
collector for the outlying districts.
think there is no doubt but that per-
mission to increase the staff will
shortly be received, in fact 1 have
official intimation to that effect.
No, there is no trouble in getting
efficient men, but in my opinion the
remuneration is totally inadequate to
the responsible work done here.
THE CHIEF TROUBLE
Abont the working OF this Office is that
all the heavy mails come in between
6 and 8 A. NJ, and they all have to be
sorted while the public are waiting for
them. Now if the mails came in in the
evening the trouble could be easily
settled for we could put on a night
shift and during the "silent hours"
everything could be sorted and ar
ranged and ready for the public the
first thing in the morning. But this
is OF course impossible, as the over
land trains cannot alter their
time to suit our convenience. There
will be big rush here in day or
two when the delayed mails come in
concluded the Inspector" and
everyone connected with the estab-
lishment will have to work night and
day to dispose of the matter that is
steadily accommodating.
The reporter thanked his inf ormant
for the news so courteously accorded
and passing into the lobby without was
soon one of host of interested
spectators who were eagerly watching
the movements Of one of the postal
employees as he incribed the following
legend in chalk on the blackboard
near the delivery window:
JANUARY IS, 1888.
lowing to the heavy snow block
AIDES the Eastern mails will not arrive
before next week. They are four
DAYS DELAYED now"