The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-11
MAILR0UTE
New Contract
This Month.
POSTAL SERVICE
Throws Craft Out and Puts
Farnsworth In.

AS result of the inquiries sent to
Postmaster Greene from the authori-
ties at Washington, sometime stree,
asking him to ascertain the contract
price for which he could get the local
mail transportation work done salts
| factorily, word was yesterday received
here that the contract for the screen
wagon service now in charge Of ]. A.
Craft of Louisville Ky, would be alb
rogated on the 18th inst, until such
time as he should see fit to provide a
service adequate to the needs of the
department here. The postmaster was
instructed to provide a service suIta-
| BILE to his needs and begin the transfer
Of the mails under such arrangements
on Sunday next.
| This action means that for a time,
at least Worcester will have u SER
vice both efficient and at the same
time more pleasing to the eye. For
years the teams employed in carrying
the mails have been unsightly objects
in the streets, but it has not been pos
sible to effect change for the better.
More recently, however, complaints
have been coming to the postmaster
that the sub-contractor, r. E. Couch,
has not been performing his duty in
manner for the best interests of the
department, in consequence of which
| the mails were much delayed In many
cases. The postmaster has, in turn,
forwarded these complaints to the de-
partment with his recommendations,
with the result that. at least foy a
time, the work is to be under the i'm
mediate charge of the postmaster.
Postmaster Greene has had esti-
mates made by several parties mere
who are willing to undertake the work
now done by Mr.. Couch, ana. as a re-
suit of his Investigations along that
line, it seems probable that Calvin
Farnsworth, the baggage transfer
agent at the Union station, will De Civ
en- the contract. Mr.. Farnsworth is es-
pecially fitted to perform the service
In an admirable manner, as he is really
in that line of business, and from his
connection with the station and his
constant attendance to his business at
that point, he will be able to have a
personal supervision over the service
that would be impossible were the con-
tract given to any other party. He
has the teams and the men ready to
begin the work at once, and while it
will be impossible to equip the service
with screen-wagons stipulated by the
department, in every other respect the
service he will provide will be a great
Improvement over that provided by
Mr.. Couch for many years past.
This arrangement with Mr. Farms
worth WILL however, be only temper
airy, and as soon as the contractor is
able to secure some other party to I'M
dertake to do something for nothing,
which is about what the contract that
he makes with his sub contractors
means, he will report the fact to the
postmaster, and he in turn will inform
the department and annull his con-
tract with Mr.. Farnsworth.
BY this temporary arrangement the
department will be the gamer as well
as the public, for Contractor Craft will
be obliged to pay Mr.. Farnsworth for
the service furnished or else the de-
partment will stand the expense and
deduct the sum from any moneys that
may be due the contractor on lis con-
tract
The service will be somewhat more
expensive than that now furnished by
Mr.. Couch, and it will be for Contrac-
tor Crafts advantage to provide a ser
vice as speedily as possible or lose by
the new deal AS Craft is one of sew
eral contractors who take many SINH
lar contracts in various parts of the
country, it would seem to be to his ad-
vantage in the long run to provide q
suitable service here, even il he should
lose money by thus doing. He would
be able to make up the deficiency from
the service in some other section.
The local screen-wagon service in
cludes the transportation of the mails
to and from the post office and the sta
ton, and also the transfer from the
central Office to the several stations
and sub-stations in various parts of
the city. 1t will require the constant
use of at least four teams and three
or four men.