The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-02-17
SOME MATTERS CONCERNING
CALUMET P. G. CLEARED UP
Postmaster Wickstrom Gives Ex-
PLANTATION Of Conditions
in the Lobby.
TALKS OF FEDERAL BUILDING

In an interview with The News this
morning, Postmaster Charles j. Wick
strom cleared up some matters con-
corning the Calumet postoffice which
are not understood by the general
public.
According TO MIR. Wickstrom the
congestion i'm the lobby on Sundays
cannot be alleviated until more ade-
quate quarters are found. The call
boxes cause much of the trouble. There
are only 237 lock boxes i'm the office,
the rest being call boxes, whereas there
are demands for fully 1900 lock boxes.
The fixtures are owned by the Ryan
estate which purchased them from the
Union Building association when the
postoffice was established in its pres
ent quarters some years ago. The
Ryan estate, i'm turn. leased the fix
lures TO the government for ten years.
This lease has several years yet to
run, and although the lease could be
set aside if the government SO desired
there is no disposition on the govern
ment's part to do this. Mr.. Wick
strom took this matter up with the
postoffice department last summer,
and was Informed that if new quarters
could be found that the matter of
new fixtures might be considered, in
timating that otherwise the present
fixtures would have to remain i'm use.
In an office the size OF the Calumet
postoffce it is admitted that there
should be no call boxes at ALL the call
boxes making all the crowdng and
confusion on Sundays and holidays,
but under the circumstances there is
apparently no remedy. There is no
available better place for a postofllce
in Red Jacket and until there is it
seems that the public will have to be
satisfied. Mr.. Wickstrom AYERS that
he has done everything it is possible
for him to do to better conditions In
the lobby.
In regard to the suggestion that the
lobby be kept open on Sundays, holt
days and in the evening until $3.50 or
10 o'clock for the convenience of the '
public. Mr.. Wickstrom says it has been
made before but that IT cannot be act |
cd on without danger to the interests
of the patrons of the office. The cases
are not stationary and can be easily
pushed over. They cannot be
satisfactorily braced, and If the
lobby was left open with no one
present to keep an eye on things Mr..
Wickstrom declares il would be an
easy matter for anyone so inclined to
push the cases in and take mail which
did not belong to them. There have
been several instances of thefts of
mail in the Calumet postofflce i'm just
this way, and for the protection of the
public Mr. Wickstrom believes it best
to keep the lobby locked when none of
the clerks are present If the office
was kept open to later hour in the
evening than usual, even if the clerks
were i'm the office, the postmaster says
that people having call boxes would
hammer at the closed window for their
mail, believing that they should be ac-
corded the same privileges as the own
ers of lock boxes. This has been the
previous experience of the local post
office force.
Just at present there is little hope
for a federal postoffice building i'm Cal
umet. The greatest difficulty is the
fact that the government will not pur-
chase site unless it can get the fee
of the land, mineral rights and all, and
as the local mining companies own all
mineral rights hereabouts there is no
available location. Calumet is pc
culiar community in this respect, and
I'm order to buy n site with surface
rights only, for a postoffice, it would
be necessary to have congress pass
special act authorizing the same. 1t
would be difficult now to get such an
act through congress as appropriations
are being cut down in all departments
and new projects are being side track
ed.