Omaha daily bee., 1906-07-03
RECEPTION FOR ROSEWATER
Postal Employees Of Three Cities Greet
Governments Representative.
WORK OF UNIVERSAL POSTAL CONGRESS
Men who Handle Mails Given q
SynOptic Report of the Proceed
inEs of Fifty-One Days
Session.

A reception was given BY the employees
of the Omaha postoffice at Edward Creigh-
ton Institute hall, Eighteenth street, near
Douglas, to Edward Rosewater in honor
OF his return from abroad as a member Of
the Universal Postal Congress In addi-
tion to about 100 Of the postoffice employees
Of Omaha. twenty Of the employees of the
Council Bluffs and twenty-five OF the South
Omaha postoffice employees were present.
The meeting was called to order by George
kleffner president OF the Omaha Letter
Carriers association, who introduced Cap
tain II. E. Palmer as chairman Of the even
ing.
The meeting had no political significance
whatever, being simply a good will greet
ing of welcome to Mr.. Rosewater. Captain
Palmer, in introducing Mr. Rosewater,
said he was glad to welcome him home,
not only on his own behalf, but on behalf
OF the postoffice force of the three cities,
as they recognized in Mr.. Rosewater the
representative of the great Postoffice de-
partment, not alone OF the United State,
but OF all the great nations represented N
the Postal congress.
Mr. Rosewater was greeted with applause
as he stepped forward to address the gath
erng. He said, in effect:
many of you here tonight as members Of
the postoffice force of this country. It has
been my good fortune to meet the repre-
sentatives of many other countries since
I last saw many of you. While abroad
! have visited the postofhces In parts OF
France, Germany and Italy and have OBJ
served their manner of doing business. In
some respects their postal system is bet
ter than ours, but in respect to the In
terror workings OF the foreign postofiices'
| I think that ours is much superior. In
Rome, particularly, they still do things
| the old way: in fact, nothing short Of 1000
years old will count in Rome anyhow"
Work of Postal Congress.
! Mr.. Rosewater then gave an interesting
talk upon the Postal congress and It's per-
sonnel, which consisted of the highest post
Office dignitaries OF the siXty-four coun-
| tries represented in the congress The
German delegation was honored by the
presence of a cabinet minister from that
country, while one of the delegates from
France was the president Of the Postal
Savings bank of France. The session con-
tinued for ffty-one days. The prolonged
| session resulted from the great multi
plicity OF questions under consideration
and the conservatism of the European
delegates, as well as the South American
delegates, who would have preferred to
let matters remain in statue quo, rather
than to undertake any improved methods.
which they suspicioned might reduce their
frstal reVenuess After prolonged discus
sEons the return coupon system for foreigp
I sostaBe was nnally stdofted s1si- tle trea-
sit rate was cut down about so per cent.
The new rule will go into effect October /,
1907. After much discussion the twenty
gramme standard was adopted, though OPP
posed by the countries not using the
metric system of weights and measures
The twenty-gramme standard is regarded
as the nearest equivalent to the American
and British ounce, but really twenty eight
grammes is nearer equivalent Of the ounce
The international rate OF postage was es-
tablshed at cents per twenty grammes
Another important concession granted by
the congress at the earnest persistency OF
Switzerland was to permit the transit OF
flowers through the mails, with special
reference to the Eidelweiss flower, OF
which great quantities are sent out OF
! Switzerland to all parts Of the world
Mr.. Rosewater told many other things
of interest of the work Of the congress
and of his visits to the postoffices OF the
several countries. He concluded his in
formal talk with the expression of his sin
,
. him by this reception. which he was glat
to say had no political significance
; Mr.. Rosewater brought with him larg'
collection of pictures and postal cards o.
the various foreign countries which he Wis
tied, which he left for the inspection o
THE meeting upon the conclusion of his ad
dress
EnRrOssed Resolutions Presented.
President Kleffner then presented MI
Rosewater with an engrossed copy OF tn
resolutions passed at the meeting of IN
State ssociation of Letter Carriers held a
South Omaha May 80, which embodied tn
thanks of the association for the service
; Mr. Rosewater had at all times rendere
the postal employees Of the country, AM
i particularly the letter carriers.
vote of thanks was unanimously ten
4 dered Mr. Rosewater for his address.
Short addresses followed, by d. r. wit
D ter Of Council Bluffs, NJ. j. Grady of Sout
b Omaha Charles Kaltier OF Omaha, Georg
i Kleffner and others. Mr.. Kleffner strong
. advocated that the clerks perfect an or
= ganization such as the letter carriers have
h for both social and business purposes
h Cigars were passed during the evening, an
the meeting closed about 10 o'clock