The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-03-26
It IS NOW Up
TO THE PEOPLE
They Should Do Their Part Re-
garding the Salt Lake
POstOfliCe.
SERIOUS STATE OF
AFFAIRS NOW EXISTS
Business Man of Salt Lake
Shows Up Mismanagement
Of Office.

Tho complaints to The Tribune against
the mlsrnunagement of the Salt Lake post
Office have oecome so numerous as to
fairly overwhelm. Not day passes that
number are not filed here and it be-
comes necessary in the circumstances to
suggest TO the patrons OF the Salt Lake
Office that they file their complaints d.
rect with the postmaster OF the Postoff1ce
Department at Washington.
The Tribune has attempted to show the
Tostoflce Department and representatives
OF tho Postofilce Department that the Salt
Lake postofftcs is conducted in a shame
less manner. 1t has made proof on every
Charge and its charges have ranged from
crimes to acts Of gross Indifference 1t
!s now up 10 the people to do their part.
.7aey have suffered immeasurably and
10y are suffering each day.
Business Is Retarded.
Business IS hindcred because OF the de-
lay in the receipt and dispatch OF tho
mall. and these interruptions and !rregu-
laritics have cost the business men OF
Salt Lake thousands of dollars.
The Tribune is able personally to trace
losses of several hundred dollars iinme
d1ately to the delays of It's mail by the
Salt Lake postoflce. and so far as has
been possible II has transferred its bus-
hess from tho poStoffice to~the express
companies. 1t is a serious state OF affairs
that exists mere and the following ex-
PLANTATION by a business man OF Salt
Lake Will prove not only strikinely inter
csting, but OF Importance in present-day
controversy.
Here Is the Statement
Editor Trlbune--If there be any one in
Salt Lake who lacks evidence OF the de-
plorable condition of the Salt Lake post
Office. let him try the following expert
ment: Post a letter in any OF the bust
ness district letter boxes at o'clock p, IN.
addressed TO Somp person in The resi-
6ence district five blocks away. Then let
him observe the tine 1t takes to reach
tho addressed
"A letter posted on the outgoing even
ing Salt Lake mail train VIII be delivered
TO the Addrcssee in Denver before n let
ter posted at -he same moment will be
delivered within Salt Lake City where the
letter is posted.
Busy as Navajo Jimmy.
II have no quarrel with Gov. Thomas
personally. He las grown rich In Salt
Lake since he assumed charge of the
postoflcs through Tie large number Of
private businesses he has handled. Dur
ing this tim". l understand. he has
erected. rentsd and purchased business
blocks for Henry Phipps hcs run u ranch
in Idaho, has acted as director for the
Postal Telegraph company, The Utah Saw
ings and TrIst company and various
other corporations. He hns managed tho
Mnxf1eld Dline In Immigration canyon
Eas negotiated real estate on commission,
acted as broker for loans. taken MS sep
hrate salary as custodian of the Federal
building while In course of erection. and
manipulated numerous business deals of
ether kinds. Besides these, he has posed
as leader in the Cambrisn and other So
cieties. spent time lavishly at the clubs
with convivial spirits. and lobbied a score
OF relatives, near and far into public Of
flee in Utah and Washington.
Keeps 1t Secret
Just how wealthy he has become
through his many lucrative business con-
ordinary expense for doing such business,
and how many relatives he has fattened
at the public crib is secret bat few
know, and which he has been ycr. car.
ful TO keep from punlic attention
For my own part I do not care how
r1ch he has grown In the past few years.
nor how man, relatives occupy public Of
fces, provided It has not been done at
the expense OF time that should be given
TO the Government service for which he
IN the service which have ~ stand from
lie Salt Lake City postoffice.
Business Depends on Local Service.
My own business is one which depends
for It's efficiency and success upon the
service OF the local mails In Salt Lake
City. Every night l deposit at a letter
box in the central business district sew
eral score OF letters for local delivery Ac-
cording to the printed schedule of col
collections between six and midnight, at
any Of which these letters should be
taken up. carried to the postofflce and
sent out on the forenoon delivery of next
day.
.'But what nre the facts2 These letters
reach their destination not on the fore
noon rounds. but in the afternoon OF. very
likely. the succeeding day Sometimes
they are delivered just about tho time
they would be delivered II addressed 10
q party In Omaha.
One Instance Like Many Others.
Here Is an Individual instance; Last
Thursday afternoon I wrote a letter,
which i posted at 6s15 o. m. at the Ken
yon corner addressed to n gentleman
eight blocks away The letter was deIiv-
cred the second day after Saturday at
being the nth. the day after II was de-
posted Special delivery letters dcpos-
tied In the postoffice mere fare equally
bad. Though a ten-cent special delivery
stamp is supposed to insure Immediate
delivery. a letter will take four hours
from the time 1t is dropped into the local
postofiice box until delivered four blocks
away
Many Letters Returned.
More than this. letters addressed to
well-known business houses and profes
sonal men in Salt Lake arc returned 10
me because their street address is moi
put on tho letter with a stamped ndmo-
milton TO put on street address to insure
delivery. What arc directory clerks for7
Trouble With the Head.
What is the cause of such demoraI,za-
ton In the local seryice3 There oro
many employees at the postofrce vho
realize this condition OF affairs and arc
working with heart and soul to give good
service. They put In over hours In an
attempt TO better things, The fault is
not With the employees Though there are
n number OF 'fayorites' who should bear
part Of the blamc). but with the execu-