Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-29
Mr.. Beavers Returns After Having
n
Installed It.
PRICES 70. BE-; HIGH IN PARIS
Other Powers WIN Have Larger
Buildings Than Ours.
AN INTERESTING TALK

Flowers covering three great tables. the
gift of the employees of the department,
greeted the chief of the salary and allow
ance division of the Post Office Depart
ment. Mr.. George w. Beavers, upon his
return yesterday from a two months Eu-
ropean trip. Mr.. Beavers went to Paris
as the special representative of the Post
master General at the'iPars exposition, and
personally he made arrangements for the
installation OF model American working
post Office at the exposition grounds, as
well as collecting a very interesting and
valuable postal exhibit.
Mr.. Beavers is much gratifed with the
generous way in which the French officials
lent aid to the project of an American
post Office. and says that they have given
every facility to put our exhibits in the
best possible light
Delays of All Kinds.
He says, however, that those who con-
template visit to the exposition would do
well not to make the trip until month or
six weeks after the official opening date
April To- The exposition grounds are all
Incomplete and he thinks that it will be
simply impossible: TO make respectable
showing by April Is. There have been
delays of all kinds said he. some of them
caused by labor strikes, and it will be six
weeks or two months after the official open
ing before the big show will be in perfect
opera ton. The United States building can
not be occupied for many weeks"
He says that cur government building is
one Of the smallest Of all the buildings of
the great powers .:Of course" he remark
full structure, constructed after the Ameri-
can order of architecture. Even Italy will
have building four times as large as ours.
The United States will be well represented
n eyh ihifS htlt he ri Of Va
ing nearer to the exposition, will be able to
have great advantage over us in that re-
spect, and they are consequently putting
forth great efforts to exploit their own
wares. Russia and England will make mag
niflcent displays of machinery, and distance
will affect our exhibit in this regard also.
The Paullic. which has been out at sea for
twenty-three days now, has our machinery
exhibit on board. and while her loss is not
anticipated the unusual delay is causing
anxiety
Prices VIII BE High.
Mr.. Beavers says that the exposition
prices are going to be high, and he advises
Americans intending? to make a visit to
Paris this summer to have their wallets
wei filled. Hotel rates are enormous, and
everywhere the cost. for bare maintenance
is exorbitant While this condition of at
fairs is rather discouraging, it is to be ex-
pected and is in the natural course of
things, For instance. the five American
post office clerks at the exposition have
been allowed $50 a nth for living ex-
penses; but in order to get fairly comfort
able quarters and board and other incident
ais they have to eXpend in the neighbor-
hood of $50 a month.
Mr.. Beavers visited Germany. Switzer-
land. England, ,iAustfia and Italy during
his stay abroad and fwhile he came back
to America a wiser. man. he periodically
feels that there is no country equal to the
United States, and that we are only be-
!, ,l,..,k
age and public buildings, and in the latter
respect only because longer time has been
given them for accretion.
He made his report to the Postmaster
General today, explaining that the prepara-
lions are now complete for the working of
the American post office, and that as soon
as the government building is finished the
post office will begin work. He reported
that the French officials accorded every
courtesy that was asked, and even extend
ed the ranking privilege to our government
officials. To accord such courtesy in
this country would require an act of Con-
gress. and the only return asked by the
French was that the American post office
purchase its stamps from the French gov
eminent.
The Post once.
Speaking of the post Office Mr. Beavers
said:
THE exhibit will be a complete American
post office, and will be available for Ameri-
cans coming to Paris during the exposition,
of course, including our officials. All that
will be necessary for Americans to do in
order to get letters from our office will be
to address letters United States Postal
Station, Exposition, Paris. France
These mails so addressed will come by
any steamer, but in special American
pouches, without passing through a French
post Office or being handled by French
officials in any way, and will be handled en-
tirely by American postal clerks.
We shall issue money orders and regis
tered letters as at home. We shall have a
poste restante. where Americans who have
not taken boxes of their own may call and
obtain their letters, but those who desire 1t
may rent lock boxes just as in any Ameri-
can post office.
These boxes will present new features,
keys being abolished and combination locks
substituted. This may strike Parisians as
an entire novelty. but in this country any
one renting box can go at any time dur
ing the day or night and open his box and
obtain his letters without the aid of clerk
or official.
ITO an American the abolition of k.ys
will be a welcome novelty. as key is awk-
ward to carry about and has to be detached
from ones key ring in order to admit of
any member OF the family or office calling
for letters
THE principle is the same as in American
safes. combination lock is used, and all
that is necessary te know is the requisite
combination numbers that open the box
We shall have about $50 of these boxes.
The Return Mail.
Return mail to America will be man.
aged entirely by our officials and go direct
from the exposition grounds to steamers.
All the articles and equipment used in con-
nection with the postal exhibition have
been contributed byfAmerican postal supply
manufacturers. a, It, VIII be, in fact, an
American post oAce dayice exhibit"
The Postmaster General was much
pleased with Mr.. Beavers statement of
conditions. and conafAment>d the official
very highly for his very meritorious work,
which will result in uRtold benefit to Amer
lean visitors todhe exposition. They will
be able to get information there and trans
aot business Which would otherwise cost
them pretty figure ntthe way of fees and
tips The purpaae 'ofushe postI exhibit. is
twofold 1t wilihiliustIate the operations Of
our postal system, witch is admitted to be
the best In the world: because of our great
opportunities for trying out new ideas and